Code Geass Megiddo
by Wing Zero Alpha
Summary: After the Black Rebellion, the world became a different place from what people knew it for. But despite that, there was still one who wished to change it for the better. This is the story of his renewed revolution...
1. Chapter 01: Black Dawn

"_To win everything or to lose everything. That is the essence of war. As such, even after a cease fire or the signing of a treaty, the war will not be completely over; not as long as either side still has some fraction of what they hold dear."_  
- Charles zi Britannia

**Chapter 01: Black Dawn**

**Tokyo Settlement, Area 11 (Japan), Holy Britannian Empire  
September 13, 2017 a.t.b.**

It took a while for Kyoshiro Tohdoh to realize it, but dawn had finally come. It was symbolized by the sun's great light peaking over the horizon, cancelling out the darkness that had been present for the last couple of hours. And with that light, Tohdoh decided, came the promise of victory. A long and well overdue victory.

Picking up speed, he weaved his advanced seventh generation knightmare frame _Gekka_ through the various debris that now littered the Tokyo Settlement, cutting in half a Britannian _Sutherland_ with a thruster assisted slash as he past. Another _Sutherland_ attempted to avenge its partner with a machine gun barrage, but Tohdoh simply launched the slash harken in his seidotou's hilt, which smashed into the _Sutherland_'s head and forced the pilot to eject. Whipping the seidotou around, Tohdoh set his radio to broadband. "All units continue advancing! Once we seize the government bureau, victory will be ours!"

The united reply from the remaining number of Black Knight units soon filled his ears. Despite the heavy losses, they still numbered over four hundred.

Even amidst the destruction, Tohdoh couldn't help but smile at the Order of the Black Knights' fortune. Yes, Zero was gone, disappearing from the battle and taking with him the advanced prototype knightmare _Gawain_, but he had not left without making sure that the Black Knights were within victory's reach. Most of the Britannian forces had been neutralized now; its air force had been wiped away by a single burst of the _Gawain_'s hadron cannons while its army was still fighting but with numbers dwindling by the second. Viceroy Cornelia li Britannia herself was missing in action, with command being past down to her personal knight, Gilbert G.P. Guilford, a competent commander as well as one of the very few people that could match Tohdoh in a knightmare frame, but even he was outmatched in this situation. And to top it all off, reinforcements from the Britannian mainland would not be able to arrive for another two and a half days.

But Tohdoh wasn't a man that would claim victory before the battle was won; only fools, like several of his late comrades from the now defunct Japanese Liberation Front, believed battles to be won before the final strike was made. The trick now was to see this through to the end without the Britannians regaining the upper hand. It was harder than it sounded, but still quite possible.

Putting more power into his _Gekka_'s landspinners, Tohdoh charged up one of the building remains, using it as a ramp, then leaping off and landing in the middle of a Britannian formation. Activating his seidotou's thrusters, he spun around one hundred and eighty degrees, slicing at least four _Sutherlands_ down the middle, then raised his unit's left arm and fired the mounted autocannon at the enemies that he had not cut. The enemy units were quick to scatter, and the ones with assault rifles returned fire even faster, but by that point Tohdoh had put the landspinners in full reverse and zig-zagged to dodge the bullets. When one of the enemy frames launched a grenade, he was forced to leap back to avoid the explosion.

But the retreat didn't last long, as Tohdoh turned around and charged, targeting the _Glasgow_ that had launched the grenade. The fourth generation frame tried to back away, but Tohdoh _Gekka_ was much faster, and a diagonal cut later and the _Glasgow_ was out of the fight. Tohdoh didn't see the explosion, but he did hear it, and even through the confines of his cockpit it was loud. Even so, it didn't faze him, and he continued on to dispatch three more _Sutherlands_, cutting one in half at the waist, splitting another down through the middle and then impaling the last one through cockpit. He ignored the sight of blood sprayed across his seidotou when he withdrew it, and moved away to find other targets.

His next attacker actually managed to make him, a rather humorless man, laugh out loud. It was a _Knight Police_, one of the _Glasgows_ that had been stripped of its military applications and turned over to regular law enforcement. And to make it all the more amusing, it was facing him down with nothing but a pistol and a riot shield, both effective against rioting mobs but entirely useless against other knightmare frames.

"Have the Britannians gotten so desperate that they're bringing regular police frames into battle?" Tohdoh wondered out loud. He drew a cold smirk at that. "Very well, I shall grant you a mercy killing."

And with that he charged at the _Knight Police_, making minimal effort dodge its fire. Instead of cutting it in half straight away like he had been doing with the regular military knightmares, he banked to the side and encircled the law enforcement unit, which also attempted to turn around to keep the Black Knight frame in its sights, but again, the _Gekka_ was much faster than the antiquated machine. Quick as always, Tohdoh cut the riot shield in half, forcing the _Knight Police_ to throw away the pieces. He then made two stabs into the _Knight Police_'s legs, forcing the knightmare to kneel like a human would with such wounds, and finished it off by beheading it. The cockpit soon ejected without harm.

"You call that a mercy killing, Colonel?" Tohdoh heard from his side. He turned to see another _Gekka_, specifically the unit belonging to Kotetsu Urabe, speed up to meet him, with a few _Burais_ not far behind. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you've become a bit of a sadist."

"Urabe, what are you doing here? I sent you to take care of Sector Kappa Seven." Tohdoh exclaimed, not happy to see one of his men abandoning his post to come see him. They were in the middle of a battle after all.

Urabe just laughed. "We took care of that sector a long time ago. I felt my talents were needed elsewhere, so I took a force and left Mori in command of the rest."

"I hope for their sakes that Guilford doesn't choose that area to stage a counterattack." Tohdoh stated, which sounded more like a warning to Urabe than anything else. As if on cue, his radar beeped suddenly, signaling an incoming wave of enemy knightmares. "Nevermind. Move in, _Tsunami_ Formation."

"Will do Colonel." Urabe signed off, immediately putting his own _Gekka_ into a charge, followed by the _Burais_.

Tohdoh did the same, although with the customizations that had been made to his unit, his _Gekka_ actually managed to outrun the other knightmares and came into contact with the enemies first. Among the _Sutherlands_ and _Glasgows_ were more _Knight Police_, but instead of the amusement he felt earlier, Tohdoh felt pity. The Britannians really had become desperate; he would have felt sorry for them, had they not tormented and exploited the Japanese for as long as they had.

However, as the Japanese offensive grew in strength, the Britannian counteroffensive became all the more fierce. The enemy knightmares started to group together more, making it far more difficult to engage them individually, while the ones that broke from the formation did so at heightened speed. Just as he had dispatched another _Glasgow_, Tohdoh saw from the corner of his eye one such _Sutherland_ charge out with a heavy lance in hand, aimed directly at him. It was only by his fast reflexes that he was able to move the _Gekka_ out of the way before being impaled; a nearby _Burai_ wasn't so lucky. Tohdoh cursed at the death of a comrade and sprayed the _Sutherland_ with a burst from his arm cannon. He managed to blow off the _Sutherland_'s arm before one of the _Knight Police_ moved in and used its riot shield to deflect the shots.

"Chaos Mine!" someone blared out over the radio. Sure enough, Tohdoh caught sight of the weapon flying through the air, coming up to his general vicinity. With no time to give the order to dodge, he made the _Gekka_ backflip and move out of range just as the chaos mine opened up and rained shrapnel down upon where he had been standing. At least four _Burais_ had been caught in the fire, and only one cockpit block managed to eject.

"Damn it." Tohdoh snarled, turning his _Gekka_ straight at the _Sutherland_ that had been responsible. He charged, not failing to notice that Urabe had brought his own _Gekka_ behind his, so that just after Tohdoh slashed a diagonal cut across the _Sutherland_ that came down to the right, the Four Holy Swords member made a second cut that went down to the left, creating an 'X' straight across the Britannian knightmare's body. The _Sutherland_ fell down on its face and exploded not long after, its cockpit never ejecting.

Their numbers subtracting fast, the remaining Britannian frames chose the better part of valor and retreated back. Tohdoh was about to give the order to pursue, but the voice of Nagisa Chiba, another one of his Four Holy Sword subordinates, soon echoed from the radio. "Colonel, the Britannians are pulling back in all sectors, likely to mount a final defense around and within the government bureau. Victory is only a matter of time now, sir."

"I'll refrain from calling it that until all of our enemies are vanquished, Chiba." Tohdoh stated with resolution. "Have you encountered any _Gloucesters_ on your end?"

"Not yet sir. I think Asahina's force encountered one, but it pulled back to the bureau as well."

Tohdoh looked back at the looming government building in question, one of the few that had not toppled over when Zero's underground sources caused the settlement to collapse. _They really are mounting their last defense then._ "All forces regroup. We're going to make our push on the government bureau. Expect the Britannians to do everything to halt our progress."

"_Shouchi!_"

* * *

**Britannian sea battlecarrier **_**Ark Royal**_**  
Pacific Ocean  
September 13, 2017 a.t.b.**

Second Prince Schneizel el Britannia was a man that held very few emotions outwardly. Nervousness was not one of them, at least not usually. But even though he stood on the bridge of the aircraft carrier _Ark Royal_, flagship of the Britannian Imperial Navy's Third Fleet Taskforce 31, with the same cold expression that he seemed to naturally give off, one could still see sparse traces of that very emotion emanating from him. It was a terrifying thing when such a man was shaken by an outside force.

The bridge itself was equally silent. The officers and crew still went about their duties, but they all felt the same fear and doubt that Schneizel was feeling, only they lacked the mental controls to keep it on the inside. As such, there was an eerie calm settled upon the bridge, and possibly the rest of the ship, the kind that occurred before or after a catastrophic storm struck.

And then it all came crashing down with one voice.

"The Elevens have just breached the fourth line of defense." said the radioman, looking toward Schneizel, who turned toward the man after hearing his voice. The Prince quickly noted look of terror in his eyes; it wasn't the kind of terror one had when facing death, but the kind that one had with the knowledge of imminent defeat. "Enemy knightmares are making their way to the government bureau. Lord Guilford is organizing another line now, but it's not likely they'll be able to hold."

Schneizel allowed himself to take a short but deep breath, one that only the most perceptive would barely notice, to calm himself. The last thing he was going to do was let his own inner anxiety get the best of him. "Where is Major Kururugi? Is he among the defense force?"

It was a slim chance, but Schneizel was well aware of Suzaku Kururugi's exploits with the advanced prototype _Lancelot_. His mere presence alone could perhaps turn things to Britannia's favor. Such a hope was dashed when the radioman, after taking a moment to confirm, shook his head. "Major Kururugi has left the field of battle sometime ago. He claimed to be in pursuit of Zero, who is believed to be moving to the Kamine Islands on the _Gawain_."

Despite the negative feeling that welled up in Schneizel at that explanation, he arched an eyebrow in curiosity. _If Zero is not leading the rebels, then who? Perhaps the man behind the Miracle of Itsukushima. Could that be exploited…?_

That line of thought halted when he realized the radioman had said Guilford was leading the defense effort and not Cornelia. "You said Lord Guilford was in command. What happened to Princess Cornelia?"

Again, the radioman took a moment to confirm, and once more, he turned back with a grim expression. "Princess Cornelia has been wounded in action at the bureau's roof garden. Her wounds are deep, but she is alive. They're trying to evacuate her now."

"If they managed to defeat the Witch of Britannia…" someone spoke up with fear flowing through their voice like a waterfall.

"They are still fighting regardless." Schneizel immediately stated, managing to sound firm and reassuring at the same time, without having to raise his voice even. That seemed to be enough for the man who spoke, so Schneizel again turned his attention to the battle. "What about the _Avalon_? What was its last reported position?"

"Just a minute, sir." the radioman said before he asked the prince's question on the radio. The reply came as fast as the first two. "The _Avalon_ is currently evacuating citizens from the settlement. Shall I send the order for it to support the defense effort?"

Schneizel didn't realize it at first, but he actually formed a brief smile across his lips when he heard that. _Lloyd going out of his way to save _humans_? Even I never thought of hearing that._

Rather than answering the radioman's question, Schneizel paced across the bridge toward where the fleet commander, Vice Admiral Nelson Falkland, was standing. "Admiral, it is apparent that this fleet will not be able to reach Area 11 in time to provide support. Would it be possible to send strike aircraft for reinforcements?"

Being an _Empress Elizabeth_-class sea battlecarrier, the _Ark Royal_ held over fifty aircraft and even more willing pilots in its massive hangars. Although combat aircraft had largely been phased out of the modern world in favor of the knightmare frame, very few things could match the range of a fighter or the ferocity of an aerial attack. The Admiral contemplated that and the facts, but then replied with the same grimness as the radioman. "Unfortunately, none of our aircraft have that kind of flying range, my Prince. Even if they did, it would still take hours for them to reach the area."

"Are you sure? I was led to believe that she had long-range fighter-bombers onboard." Schneizel said.

"Even with external fuel tanks, they only have a range of just over two thousand kilometers; double that if they were to land at an Area 11 airbase instead of returning to the carrier. There's just too much sea between here and the islands, sire." Falkland continued to explain, obviously afraid of how the prince would take that. Schneizel ignored that.

Again, the radioman spoke up. "Sir, the Chinese naval fleet has now entered the Sea of Japan. It's likely they're setting up for a land invasion."

That news hit Schneizel with almost with particularly strong effect, though he didn't show it obviously. He knew how it would play out; once the Black Knights vanquished the last of the Britannians from the area, the Chinese would send in their own forces to repeat what they had tried to do at Fukuoka and make their way through the island. At best it would take a few days, but the Chinese would be victorious; whatever Britannian force that wasn't destroyed by the Black Knights would be ill-prepared to face the Federation's numbers, and the Black Knights themselves would be too exhausted from their battle with the Britannians to put up a worthwhile defense. Schneizel doubted that the Black Knights even knew about the Chinese moving in on Area 11, since they were too preoccupied to notice, thus making the surprise attack to come all the more devastating. In the end, the land known as Area 11 and its precious sakuradite would change hands from Britannia to China, with only the Federation gaining what it wanted all along.

He debated for a moment, even as his head turned back to face the sea that was between his fleet and the area. There were very few options he could use now, and none of them he particularly liked, but the stakes were too high not to consider them. Even without the Chinese in the equation, there was no way Britannia could allow Area 11, no, Japan's liberation to become a reality like this. Inner conflict had always been the Achilles Heel of empires of the past, and Britannia was no exception. The moment the world caught news of Japan challenging and winning against Britannia, other rebellions would rise up in the other areas, and the accumulated loss would be seen as a sign of weakness by the European Union and the Chinese Federation. And once the weakness was detected, it was only natural that Britannia's neighbors would do everything within their powers to exploit it. If such a thing were to happen, there was no doubt in Schneizel's mind that the Holy Britannian Empire would cease to exist.

Fortunately, the Britannians were farsighted enough to set up an alternate solution should Area 11 fall from their control. Schneizel was one of the few people who knew of this solution, as well as the lasting effect it would cause. To make it all worse was the fact that there were still Britannian citizens and loyal soldiers on the island, human beings he knew no matter what he did he could not save. Was he to order their deaths along with those of their enemies? Could he make such an order with good conscience, even though in the long run it would save his home nation from certain demise?

One last time, he turned to Admiral Falkland. "Is there anything that we can do for our forces at Area 11? Anything at all?"

Falkland was quick enough to recognize the darkness within Schneizel's tone, and although he wished to say otherwise, he was duty bound to give the prince the full and honest truth. "No, there's nothing we can do that can change this battle around, sir."

Schneizel closed his eyes at that, solemnly nodding. The part that hurt the most was the fact that this could have all been avoided hours ago, with the Japanese gaining their freedom while Britannia retained access to the country's sakuradite, had Euphemia only been herself. She especially would have been entirely against what was about to happen. _Forgive me Euphie. I know this goes against everything that you had wished for, both for the Japanese and for Britannia, but…_With no more words spoken, Schneizel walked over to the radio station. "Give me your microphone." he ordered straight away.

The young crewman did as he was told, completely confused. Schneizel didn't bother to explain it to him; he simply slipped the headset over his head and hit the 'TRANSMIT' button on the console. "Attention, this is Second Prince Schneizel el Britannia. These are my orders: Lord Guilford and all command staff are to pull back to the bureau's roof, where the _Avalon_ will be redirected to evacuate them. All other Britannian forces are to hold their defensive lines for as long as possible. I also order…"

He paused there, once more silently wishing that Euphemia would forgive him in time, wherever she was. "…the execution of Operation Nero. I repeat, Operation Nero is to be executed within five minutes of this transmission. Over."

Just as quickly, he toggled off the switch and handed the headset back to the crewman. He then walked back to where he had been standing, ignoring the confused glances that were upon him. It was natural as none of them knew what Operation Nero was, outside the reference to the infamous Roman emperor that engineered the Great Fire of Rome.

Finally, Admiral Falkland spoke up. "Sir, if I may, what exactly is Operation Nero?"

"A final solution." Schneizel said, without turning around. "One that will give us victory, but at a great cost."

Those were the last words Prince Schneizel spoke to anyone else that day.

* * *

**Tokyo Settlement, Area 11 (Japan), Holy Britannian Empire  
September 13, 2017 a.t.b.**

"Above!" he heard Asahina yell out, just as a shadow had cast itself over the field. Making a side glance as he moved with the rest of the troops, Tohdoh looked up to see what its origin was. Sure enough, blacking out the sun itself was that Britannian air cruiser, the one that the Black Knights' intelligence network had identified as the _Avalon_. At first Tohdoh thought it had come to provide additional defense for the government bureau, but after a second he noticed it wasn't firing at them with its CIWS emplacements. Instead, it was simply flying toward the bureau.

"What are they doing?" Chiba questioned. "Shouldn't they be firing at us or air dropping knightmares?"

"They're moving to evacuate the government bureau, probably of high level staff." Tohdoh answered, having immediately connected the dots.

"Which means we've just about won this battle." Asahina chimed proudly.

"It's not over until it's over Asahina. They likely still have knightmares to throw at us from the building, just to buy time." Urabe spoke up. His point was proven no more than a moment later.

"They're coming out now!" Tohdoh heard one of the _Burai_ pilots yell out, almost in excitement as new blips entered sensor range. Tohdoh looked on and before him, it seemed as though the floodgates had finally opened as an entire legion of Britannian knightmare frames charged out of the government bureau. It was a mixed bag of _Sutherlands_, _Glasgows_ and _Gloucesters_, the latter being the high mobility close-combat knightmare valued by Cornelia and her troops, all of which were armed with their trademark lances and billowing capes.

However, upon seeing the _Gloucesters_, Tohdoh noticed something that struck him as peculiar: of the varying colors that the _Gloucesters_ were painted in as reflections of their pilots, none of them were sporting a familiar vibrant purple color scheme. _Where's Guilford? Shouldn't he be leading the charge? Or is he evacuating as well?_

Knowing better than to ponder the matter in a middle of a battle, he toggled the main communication channel. "_Burais_ move against their flanks. Four Holy Swords on me; we're going cut through them directly."

"What about the airship?" Tohdoh heard someone ask. It might have been Asahina again, but Tohdoh didn't bother to find out.

"We have nothing to fight it with and it doesn't seem to be interested in us anyway." Tohdoh answered. "Just concentrate on the knightmares."

He waited only a moment for the confirmations of the orders, as well as the other four _Gekkas_ to form around him in a V formation. Katen yaibatous and seidotou brandished, they charged straight into the fold, banking and weaving to avoid enemy assault rifle fire and slash harkens while the _Burais_ added their own fire into the mix.

As he hurtled towards the formation, Tohdoh dropped his crosshairs over the first one he spotted, which was a _Gloucester_. Judging by the blue tint on its shoulder pauldrons it was likely one of the infamous Glaston Knights, who had only recently transferred to Area 11. Immediately it charged at him as well, lance poised to impale, but Tohdoh attacked first by firing a barrage from his arm cannon. The _Gloucester_ was quick to raise its lance and use it as a shield against the bullets, and Tohdoh responded by moving to slash it through the middle. However, he only manage to cut the lance in half at the pole, forcing the _Gloucester_ to abandon it; but at the same time, this left him open for a follow up attack from Senba, who quickly dispatched the enemy knightmare.

To an outside spectator, the five _Gekkas_' attack could be best described as quick, efficient and extremely overpowering. Chiba and Asahina both struck against a trio of _Sutherlands_, cutting apart all three with straight on passes, while Urabe managed to cut off a _Gloucester_'s lance arm, then twist around to finish it off with his arm cannon. Tohdoh himself launched the slash harken from his seidotou again and impaled a _Glasgow_ through the chest, then using a technique he had watched Suzaku Kururugi utilize with the _Lancelot_, he swung the _Glasgow_ out and used it as a flail, slamming it against three other knightmare frames and taking them all out of the battle before retracting the harken.

Tohdoh then spotted another Glaston Knight affiliated _Gloucester_ approach to his right, lance brandished and ready to pierce the _Gekka_ at its side. He jumped to the side to avoid the charge, then bringing about the seidotou and slash the lance straight on. Seeing its main weapon now useless, the _Gloucester_ abandoned its lance and then reached back, drawing a Maser Vibration Sword from its back. Tohdoh wondered just how a fifth generation knightmare frame could use that weapon, since it was claimed that the MVS was a "lost" sixth generation technology recently brought back into use through the _Lancelot_. Once more however he didn't have time to ponder it, as he was forced to bring the seidotou up to parry the first slash from the _Gloucester_.

A series of slashes and parries soon followed between the two knightmares. However, despite the Britannian machine's skill, it was quite apparent that Tohdoh was the superior swordsman, as he made several cuts against the _Gloucester_'s dark purple armor, although the enemy unit managed to keep the Japanese warrior from taking any crucial areas. It was until Tohdoh cut into the shoulder of the _Gloucester_, the part where the cape was attached to, thus creating a nice sized gash into both the pauldron and the cape itself, did the enemy pilot become truly serious. The _Gloucester_ leaped back and drew its second MVS, as if anticipating Tohdoh's charge.

However, not wanting to have a drawn out duel here and now, much less against an unworthy opponent, Tohdoh fired off the chest mounted slash harken once again. The harken decapitated the _Gloucester_, and with that Tohdoh sprayed it with the arm cannon, knocking away both of its swords and forcing it to lean forward. Going in for the kill, he made the _Gekka_ speed toward the now headless _Gloucester_ and used its blindness to close in and slash its torso with his seidotou. The resulting explosion was nothing short of spectacular.

Several more destroyed knightmare frames later, Tohdoh allowed himself to look up for the briefest of moments just to see what the airship was doing now. It seemed to have completed its evacuation, as it was now beginning to fly away from the building. Once more, it didn't bother to aid the Britannian ground forces with its own firepower, instead moving as fast as it could to leave the field of battle.

_That's it then. We've won._ Tohdoh thought, as he noticed that and the fact that the remaining Britannian knightmares had been cornered around the entrance doors of the bureau, completely surrounded on all sides by _Burais_, whose pilots were waiting for the final order. Among them was the last remaining Glaston Knight affiliated _Gloucester_, which was missing its left arm while its right still clutched onto its lance.

Switching his radio to broadband, he moved his _Gekka_ to a clearing along with the Four Holy Swords and gave the ultimatum. "To all Britannians, this is Lieutenant Colonel Kyoshiro Tohdoh of the Black Knights. In a few short minutes, you will be the last of your kind to stand on Japanese soil. Your forces have been decimated and your leaders have abandoned you. If you surrender, I guarantee we will treat you as prisoners of war according to the Tibet Convention."

Though not the most convincing surrender message Tohdoh could think of, but it seemed to be enough to sink in. At the very least no more shots were being fired, with the only movement being made by the Britannians was one of the _Sutherlands_ deploying its factsphere sensor. At the same time though, an uncomfortable calm had settled over the field as the Britannians contemplated surrender or fighting to the end. Either way, the Black Knights would oblige them.

Deciding to attempt persuasion a little more, Tohdoh added on. "No more of you have to die today."

And it was precisely after Tohdoh had finished that sentence that the ground began to rumble uncontrollably. As if they all miraculously forgot about the standoff, both the Britannian and Black Knight knightmares turned about to find what was causing the rumble.

"An earthquake? Now?" Senba spoke up in the confusion.

"Whatever it is it's a big one!" Asahina added, having just looked over his sensors.

And along with the rumbling came a static filled command from the Black Knights' home base at Ashford Academy. "…All remain-knightmare fr-back to-tors Sigma Three an-Theta Six. Abort-mission! Repeat-the mission!"

Tohdoh switched his radio to the same frequency. "Tohdoh to command, what the hell is going on?"

"Colo-situation cri-cal! Britan-deton-sakura-reserves! All units to-fall-sectors…"

"Say again command!" Tohdoh yelled out over the radio, trying his best to ungarble the message.

"Colonel, the quakes are getting worse!" Chiba yelled out to confirm what Tohdoh was feeling underneath him.

"Just how is this possible…!?" Tohdoh yelled outloud. It couldn't have been a natural quake, not now anyway; it had all but struck just as the Black Knights were on the verge of victory. And that's when the realization hit Tohdoh with the same force as the quake, resulting in his eyes widening in horror. Kami_ help us. They've actually done it…_

An explosion suddenly erupted not far from their position, one that was large enough to engulf an entire section of the city. Tohdoh immediately regained the initiative upon seeing the reality with his own eyes. "All knightmares, pull back to Sectors Sigma Three and Theta Six! Go! Find a clearing from any buildings and debris and stay there! It's your only chance at survival!"

The _Burais_ did as they were told, breaking from their encirclement around the Britannian units and speeding away, while the Britannians themselves also broke from their last ditch defensive line, now concentrating on survival rather than fighting. The Four Holy Swords naturally remained with Tohdoh, as he led them down the way they had come before.

"I don't understand… How is this happening!? Why now!?" Asahina bellowed out of confusion.

"The Britannians…" Tohdoh said, with a deathly solemn tone. "They knew they wouldn't be able to hold Japan forever; whether they lost it to the Chinese or to us. So they set up an emergency measure, that if they were to lose Japan, the country and its resources would not fall to a foreign power…"

Almost immediately, the Swords realized what he was referring to, with Urabe the first to voice their matching despair. "The sakuradite! The Britannians are detonating the sakuradite veins!"

"_Kami…_ they run under the entire island!" Chiba let out. "There will be nothing left…!"

"Our country… Japan…!" Asahina voice became barely a mutter.

"As long as we live, then so will Japan!" Tohdoh bellowed, pushing back his own despair to retain his commanding presence. If they were going to survive, he needed to remain their leader. "Therefore, I refuse to lose myself or any of you in this manner! We will find a safe zone, and we will ride this out, even if it means having to fight the _shinigami_ himself for our right to live on!"

The sounds of explosions and crumbling buildings was not far off now, symbolizing the loss of precious time to the five combat veterans. As his _Gekka_ continued to move, Tohdoh allowed himself to look back toward the government bureau, which still stood and proudly displayed the Britannian flag upon its side, if only for a little while longer. He sneered at that image. "It will be a painful existence, and we may just end up becoming the last of a once proud country and race, but we will all live beyond this, if only to fight once again…"

And then he turned his forward once more, refusing look back anymore as the world fell apart around him. _And we will remember this day…_

The simultaneous detonation of Area 11's entire supply of sakuradite did not fail to register with the world. In only a short amount of time, the entirety of the Japanese isles was laid to waste with a series of massive earthquakes, explosions and volcanic eruptions, all but destroying the last semblances of life upon the surface, before one last great explosion of power encompassed the entire island. To the rest of the world, it appeared as though a great ball of light followed by ash and dust had emerged over an entire area of above three hundred and thirty-seven thousand kilometers, engulfing cities, mountains and forests alike. And then, as that very light died down, everything became deathly silent.

On the thirteenth day of September in the year 2017 of the Imperial Calendar, Area 11, once known as the proud nation of Japan, ceased to exist.

* * *

**Imperial Palace  
Pendragon, Holy Britannian Empire  
September 27th, 2017 a.t.b. **

And with a hard slam, Lelouch vi Britannia, former Eleventh Prince of the Holy Britannian Empire, former student at Ashford Academy, and formerly the revolutionary Zero, was against the ground. To say the least he was not very comfortable with his situation, but not because his face was forcibly planted against the hard floor. Above him stood his one time friend turned enemy Suzaku Kururugi, now a Britannian Major and ace pilot of the advanced knightmare frame _Lancelot_. And before both of them, sitting upon the literal center of power of Britannia, was the man that Lelouch had long ago grown to hate with his entire being.

"The former seventeenth heir to the Imperial thrown, Lelouch vi Britannia." Charles zi Britannia, 98th Emperor of the Holy Britannia Empire, announced while sitting upon his throne. Even though he wasn't able to look back at him, Lelouch could feel his father's dominating sneer over him. "It's been a long time, hasn't it my errant son?"

With as much strength as he could muster, even with his frail body, Lelouch struggled against Suzaku's grip so that he could glare back up to his father. "How dare you…"

And with another slam from his captor's hand, he was again against the floor.

"You will not use your Geass." Suzaku stated, not bothering to hide his own distaste for his former childhood friend. Lelouch sneered back up at him, but from his position he doubted Suzaku even bothered to notice. Like it or not, Lelouch was beneath him now, literally.

Almost immediately, the former Britannian prince's mind raced to find a way to escape Suzaku's hold over him, at least for enough time that he could actually use Geass against his father. However, even with his high intelligence and cunning, he knew he could do very little in the current situation. Even as a boy, Suzaku always had abnormal strength to him, and with his own body bound in a straight jacket, Lelouch knew it would be impossible for him to force his way out of his hand. As well, he was already immune to Geass, as Lelouch had used it on him not long ago; he was starting to regret giving the pilot of the _Lancelot_ that "live" command at Shikinejima, but it was done now. No, there was nothing he could do against Suzaku himself at this point; his only hope was if he could somehow may eye contact with the Emperor, then he could easily turn the situation around. All he needed to do was somehow turn his head against Suzaku's iron hold.

"Your Majesty, I have a request." Lelouch heard Suzaku speak up once again. "Please sire, allow me to join the Knights of the Round, the twelve strongest knights of the Britannian Empire."

"…As a reward for capturing Zero. Is that it?" The Emperor summarized from his position high above them.

And after that sentence was spoken, Lelouch felt a deep anger surge through his body as he saw what Suzaku was doing. "You…" he managed to growl.

"I told you before Lelouch, I was going to change this world from the inside." Suzaku replied emotionlessly and steadily.

That only made Lelouch's fury grow ten times over. "Even if it means selling out your friends to the man that caused the bondage and death of your people!"

If Suzaku had been shaken by that last part, he didn't show it. It had only been fourteen days since Japan's destruction had been carried out, and Lelouch had only heard about it from a suicide watch officer during his time in the _Avalon_'s brig. He had hoped that had been the final straw with Suzaku, one that would break him of his naïve and overly hypocritical "change from within" ideology, as well as his misplaced loyalty to Britannia.

"…That's right." Suzaku said simply, as if it were an obvious fact, at the same time destroying any hope on Lelouch's part that he saw the error of his ways.

"You traitor!" Lelouch spat with pure hate, inwardly refusing to believe his former friend was capable of what his ears were telling him.

For his part, the Emperor appeared amused by the whole display, and at long last answered Suzaku's request. "Very well. I like the answer you just gave him."

Lelouch turned his left eye back toward the Emperor in another attempt to bring him under his control, but he still couldn't get a clear focus.

"Now then…" the Emperor said, finally rising from his throne. "As a Knight of the Round, I order you: cover up Zero's left eye."

"Yes, Your Majesty." Suzaku acknowledged and lifted Lelouch's head up by his hair while placing the palm of his left hand over Lelouch's one and only chance of escape. All Lelouch could do now was watch as the man responsible for the death of over one hundred thirty million, as well as for his own mother, casually walked over to him with an unwavering gaze.

"My unworthy son…" the Emperor began again. "Who raised the banner of rebellion, although he was a prince."

He then stopped just a little distance from where he and Suzaku were, looming over them with his great height. "Still, there is another way that we can make use of him."

"What?" was all that Lelouch could exclaim. And that's when he noticed the Emperor's eyes shift in color, and a familiar sigil appear in both of them.

"I will rewrite your memory, about being Zero, about the death of your mother, about the continued existence of Nunnally, and even about your time spent in Area 11…" the Emperor explained, as his eyes fully formed.

"No… Geass…" Lelouch murmured in despair. Of all the things he had expected, that was the one he had never considered. _How the hell does _he_ have that!_

"You will remember none of it; you will only live to serve me…" the Emperor's smile grew. "Yes, you will become a most effective pawn."

"No stop! You're stealing what's most precious to me again!" Lelouch struggled to the last against Suzaku's hold, trying to shake his left hand off his head. "First my mother… And now you're taking Nunnally!"

"Charles zi Britannia engraves into you…" the Emperor started, waving his cape outward so that Lelouch could only see him.

"Stop it!" Lelouch cried, even knowing that there was no mercy in this man.

"…false memories of a false life!" the Emperor finished.

The last thing Lelouch could do, even as he felt Geass' power come upon him and his memories shatter one by one, was cry out in denial. All that was left after was darkness.

* * *

TO BE CONTINUED…


	2. Chapter 02: Prince

"_Now the reason the enlightened prince and the wise general conquer the enemy whenever they move and their achievements surpass those of ordinary men is foreknowledge."  
_- Sun Tzu

**Chapter 02: Prince**

**Sword of Akasha  
World of C  
Date Unknown**

He was alone now, as he preferred the most, standing upon a world within a world. Compared to the world he was used to, it was quiet and tranquil here, and well outside the reach of most other humans. As such, it was one of the few remaining places in existence that Charles zi Britannia could find peace for himself. However, that was not the real reason why he had come here as much as it was one of the side benefits.

Standing in the midst of the temple-like structuring that was the Sword of Akasha's form, Charles continued to look "up" into the sky toward the image that resembled the planet Jupiter, viewing the image with a mixture of curiosity and distaste. Ever since he was a small boy, he had looked up at it, with the full knowledge of what it was and what influence it held upon his world. How he would have loved to simply reach his hand up and wipe it away like a blemish upon a window or a stain on his clothing, but even he did not have that kind of power. For that reason, all he could do was look at it from his place, knowing as well that the more he gazed upon it, the more it gazed upon him. And he did this with the same unflinching power that he wielded upon those he ruled over.

As he collected his thoughts, his ears picked up the sound of footsteps moving toward him. Footsteps that were too small and light to have been one of his guards, as well as ones he had been able to recognize since he was much younger. "You are late."

He did not turn to face V.V., but he did hear the sound of child-like laughter escape from the immortal's lips. It was child-like because while the one before him appeared as such, Charles knew very well that he was no child. "My apologies Charles, I had been so busy with matters back in our world that I had lost track of time. Not that time truly matters in this place."

This time, Charles did turn to face the new arrival, and in what would have been a newsworthy event had he done it elsewhere, offered V.V. a small smile. "Nonsense, you've always had a problem with timing." He then shifted back to business. "I don't suppose you're going to tell me you've found C.C."

V.V. frowned at that. "Unfortunately no. C.C. continues to elude us despite the bait you made for her five years ago. I believe I told you back then that she would not fall for such an obvious trap."

"As obvious as it was, it has been quite beneficial to us anyway." Charles explained.

The smaller one nodded in understanding. "Yes, I have heard of Britannia's progress in this latest war. However, I need not remind you what would happen if you were to conquer the world before we get every Code…"

"That will not happen." Charles stated firmly. "As I have learned from my time as Emperor, there are many means of prolonging a conflict without drawing attention."

"I should hope so." V.V. replied, apparently content with the answer Charles had given him. A moment of silence came between them as V.V. moved to stand at the Emperor's side before continuing. "One thing does trouble me about this whole thing, however…"

"And that is?" Charles asked, raising an eyebrow.

"How no one or nothing has stepped up to upset our plans." V.V. explained.

Charles nodded. "It has been rather silent for the past few years. I believed after the Black Rebellion had been put down that another champion would step up to challenge us, but that hasn't been the case. Disturbing really."

"Perhaps that abomination put more weight on its newly chosen pawn than we anticipated. That said, I still think Lelouch should be killed at the first opportunity." V.V. offered.

"I still have use for Lelouch." Charles stated. "Both for the war and for other matters. And since the Order has not been able to track any other leads to C.C., then that makes him all the more valuable."

"And dangerous." V.V. countered. "Don't tell me you've actually developed some fatherly attachment to Lelouch over the years, Charles. That's not becoming of you."

That earned a small chuckle from the Emperor. "I view Lelouch no differently than I view my other hundred or so children: another pawn to be used and disposed of in equal fashion."

V.V. walked closer so that he could study his brother carefully. "Does that include Nunnally as well? Because from where I'm standing, she should have no more reason for being alive."

Charles was quick to acknowledge that. "It does, and I disagree. Should the need arise, Nunnally has her own uses that will serve us."

"I'll have to take your word on that one." V.V. replied, waving it off. After that, he found himself looking up at the same sky that Charles had been gazing at not long before, at the same image of Jupiter that hung in the air. His expression turned to one of disgust. "Such an ugly form. It will be all the better when neither of us will have to look up at that false God any longer."

"It will not be long now." Charles said in a reassuring tone. "Ragnarok will put an end to that thing soon enough, Master."

"And give birth to a new world in the process." V.V. concluded.

* * *

**Tripoli, Republic of Libya, European Union  
March 18, 2025 a.t.b.**

Suzaku Kururugi, Knight of Seven, gritted his teeth as another machine gun barrage smashed into his _Lancelot Conquista's_ "Blaze Luminous" shield. Even though his side was technically winning the battle, or at least that's what it looked like from his position, the knightmare frames belonging to the European Union were not about to hand over the city and full control of Libya without a fight. He wasn't surprised: this was the infamous Afrika Korps, a detachment of the EU's German State Army that were garrisoned in North Africa. They were as renowned for being vicious and relentless in battle as their legendary commander was.

Off to his left, he noticed a _Sutherland_ get impaled by the bayonet blade of a _Panther _knightmare frame. Inwardly cursing, Suzaku twisted the _Lancelot_ around and fired off a single VARIS shot that blew through the desert colored mono-eyed knightmare frame. Despite the fact that EU knightmares were centered around enhanced durability and fighting power compared to Britannian knightmares being designed for all around performance and certain grace, the _Panther's_ heavy armor did nothing to deflect the shot and the German manufactured knightmare exploded in midair. He fired two more shots at the other _Panthers_ that were near it, both exploding just as fast, and then lined up to take down a third when his computer bleeped a warning. Little more than a millisecond later he banked to the right, just as a stream of bullets shot by.

Turning around, Suzaku quickly deployed his factsphere sensors and tracked the shot back to a commander exclusive _Leopard_, easily distinguished by its large spiked shoulder armor, mean looking head design and left arm mounted gatling cannon. Knowing a shooting war with such a machine was something to avoid, Suzaku decided his best chance was to take it on in high speed close quarters. As such, in a swift motion, he withdrew the VARIS and had the _Lancelot_ grab its twin maser vibration swords from their respective scabbards, quickly activating the blades. He then put more energy into his float system and blasted through the sky toward his prey.

Naturally, the _Leopard _saw the attack coming and continued its barrage. In turn, Suzaku activated the "Blaze Luminous" on the _Lancelot's_ torso and charged headlong through the bullets, letting them impact onto his knightmare only to be deflected. This continued on for moments longer, until the _Lancelot_ finally closed the distance and attacked, cutting the barrels of the gatling cannon off as well as taking a chunk off one of the wings on its vector flight system, which was the EU equivalent to the Britannian float system. Acting quickly, the enemy knightmare flew backward, throwing away the remains of its main weapon and then firing off its hip mounted slash harkens and arm mounted machine cannons in unison. Suzaku easily deflected these with his right arm shield, but which still kept him from closing in momentarily.

Rather than move in close again, Suzaku decided to bring the _Leopard_ over to him. One he oriented himself, he fired all four of the _Lancelot_'s slash harkens at the German knightmare and entangled it within each harken's wires. He then reversed them and "dragged" the EU knightmare through the air, and finally impaled it through the middle upon it reaching his position. Withdrawing the harkens and flying back up, the _Leopard_ exploded not long after, cockpit and all.

But he had no time to rest as even more bullets came and bounced off the _Lancelot's_ "Blaze Luminous". At that, Suzaku turned to see more _Panthers _approaching. Although he didn't really care much for aesthetics, he found the European Union machines to be quite ugly. But then he supposed he was too used to the elegance that his own machine offered. "I really wish they would just surrender and be done with it…"

"You're getting slow Suzaku!" he heard a voice call out over the radio. Before he knew it, a blue and white form shot by the _Lancelot_, flying straight into the pack of incoming knightmares daringly. The Britannian machine was just as quick to attack, launching the enlarged slash harkens on its front, which maneuvered through the air as if they had intelligence of their own, all the while plowing and breaking through the EU machines like free flying spikes. The remaining knightmares were quick to scatter and return fire, but the Britannian unit barrel rolled and easily maneuvered away from their machine guns. "Not very befitting for the White Knight of Britannia!"

Suzaku was appreciative for the aid, despite the taunts. "Watch yourself Gino, or you'll end up getting overwhelmed."

He then quickly traded his swords for his VARIS once more and snapped off two shots, but he only managed to hit one knightmare that time, a stray _Panther_. Feeling that some heavy firepower was needed, Suzaku decided to make use of the _Lancelot's_ most powerful weapon. With a flick of a switch or two, the back mounted hadron launcher extended over the unit's right shoulder and smoothly docked the gun barrel with the VARIS. When the charge was full, Suzaku depressed the trigger and watched as a blood red beam shot forth through the sky, immediately hitting another _Panther_ in the process. Suzaku let the beam continue for a few more seconds, to which he moved it around and took out several more European knightmares before finally letting it fade out.

"Now that was cool!" Gino Weinburg, Knight of Three, hollered. Taking advantage of the enemies disarray, the Britannian machine barrel rolled again, all the while transforming into its knightmare form. Fully changed as soon as it finished the barrel roll, the knightmare frame _Tristan_ at the same time drew the pair of maser vibration poleaxes from its wing storage units, joining them up at the ends to make a double poleaxe. It then took after the enemy knightmares one by one, spinning and twirling through the air as it cut its targets to pieces with the ends of its double poleaxe. The last _Leopard_ attempted to back away to use its own gatling cannon, but the _Tristan_ was quicker, launching its two arm mounted slash harkens and merging them together, forming the unit's electromagnetic rail cannon. With that, a massive burst of blue electrical energy shot out and vaporized the _Panther_ in a great explosion.

With that final act, the sky was clear around the two Britannian knightmare frames, if only for a short moment. Suzaku took the opportunity to catch his breath, while still maintaining the comlink with the _Tristan_. "We've got them on the run. There shouldn't be too many enemies left."

Gino took a moment tomcheck his own sensors and reached the same conclusion. "Yeah, you're right, but knowing how fanatical these German bastards are, they'll fight to the end. We still have our work cut out for us."

The Knight of Seven nodded at his friend's statement, but on the edge of his mind, he began to think. _Our intelligence was correct, the bulk of their force really have pulled back to El Alamein. The question is why are they giving up Libya so easily?_

"Hey, don't space out on me now Suzaku!" Gino hollered again, breaking Suzaku out of his thought. The _Tristan_ as well transformed back into its Fortress Mode. "There are still enemy units running around. We're not finished here yet."

Suzaku was just as quick to acknowledge. "Roger that."

* * *

"_Gottverdammte Britannierschweine…_" 2nd Lieutenant Fritz Seyfardt muttered in hate as he watched the battle continue to unfold before him. As much as he didn't want to admit it, his Britannian adversaries of the Imperial Third Army were winning this battle. Already almost half of the defending force had been lost to their vicious attacks, and Fritz knew beforehand that there would be no reinforcements coming from El Alamein or anywhere else to save them. That being said, Fritz's unit, or what remained of it at this point, were still tasked with thwarting the Britannian invasion, and despite the odds the German pilot would follow his orders to the letter as best as he was able. Thus, there was no retreat.

Continuing on his flight path while flanked by the four remaining _Panthers_ of his unit, not including his own, Fritz scanned the great onslaught that was spread out before him, trying to find unsuspecting prey or a comrade that was in need of support. Down on the streets below, he saw a group of _Panzer Hummels_ attempting to hold their own against a mixed column of _Sutherlands_ and _Gloucesters_. Knowing full well that the _Hummels_, little more than left over antiques from the long past Fourth Generation, were greatly outmatched against the more up to date Britannian models, Fritz decided that some assistance was in order.

He toggled the unit communication channel. "Those _Hummels_ aren't going to last much longer_._ Drop down and destroy the _abschaum_!" After the confirmations came forth, Fritz pulled his _Panther_ into a dive and began the strafing run.

Dropping his crosshairs on a preoccupied _Gloucester_, which despite not having a commander's cape was still an inviting target, Fritz unleashed the fury of his assault rifle. The Britannian knightmare almost literally ran into the rain of bullets, and even though it managed to glide through it with its landspinners, it toppled over soon enough and exploded from its wounds. Another _Sutherland_ followed the _Gloucester_ in folding from the machine gun barrage. By that point, the Britannians scattered to avoid getting slaughtered in a group. Still on his killing high, Fritz brought his _Panther_ to ground level for a brief moment, switching from his frame's vector flight system to its landspinners, so that he could blast another _Sutherland_ with a grenade from his assault rifle's under-barrel launcher. Fritz only smiled at the sight of only a crater and bits of blue and grey armor remaining where the _Sutherland_ once was.

The rest of his unit proceeded to slaughter the remaining attackers in their own ways. Two of his fellow squadmates charged a _Gloucester_, firing at it with a combination of their assault rifles and their arm mounted machine guns, in order to drive it back further from the _Panzer Hummels_. Fritz himself assisted another _Panzer Hummel_ in bringing down another _Sutherland_ by launching his unit's slash harkens and holding it in place while the Fourth Generation frame finished it off with its smoothbore cannons and machine guns.

After his latest kill, Fritz rotated his unit's mono-eye to the right to scan his surroundings. He then spotted the _Panther_ belonging to Corporal Hans Lieber attempting to corner its own _Sutherland_ prey when a cape adorned _Gloucester_ charged out of nowhere and impaled the unit on its golden lance.

"Hans!" Fritz called out in vain. Once again aggravated at losing one of his own, he pushed his own _Panther_ to its maximum speed and charged at the _Gloucester_, which quickly threw away the dead remains of the _Panther_ and focused its lance on Fritz's unit. Fritz was forced to evade as a result.

"You…" Fritz growled with hate at the cursed Britannian machine, glaring straight into the _Gloucester's_ 'T'-shaped visor. Moving faster than his opponent had anticipated, he launched another grenade into the enemy unit's head, blasting it clean off the rest of the frame. He then delivered a solid kick into the _Gloucester's_ side, disorienting it further and giving Fritz the opportunity to finish it off with his arm mounted machineguns. The purple machine quickly detonated before the cockpit block could eject.

That seemed to be the last one for the moment, as the rest of the Britannian machines broke off their attack in the area. At first Fritz wanted to think that his group successfully drove them off, but he would soon realize that was not the reason.

"_Lieutenant_!" he heard one of his men cry out. Before Fritz could ask what was wrong, his computer blurted out a warning: he was in an enemy target lock. Without thinking any further, he put his _Panther_ into the air once again, just as multiple black colored energy beams rained down upon his position. Unfortunately, the _Panzer Hummels_ and two of Fritz's own squad had either not seen the attack in time or were not quick enough to react, and they all exploded in one collective burst.

When Fritz turned to see the source of the attack, his heart stopped in his chest. Hovering high above them was a large knightmare, clearly Britannian in origin, decorated in ornate purple, grey, white and gold armor with two enlarged pods over its shoulders. This coupled with its heavy set design and how it practically radiated power through its form made the knightmare instantly recognizable. "_Mordred_…" Fritz muttered out loud.

"Surrender." Anya Alstreim, Knight of Six, offered simply and passively.

Despite the sinking feeling in Fritz's chest, he would be damned if he'd surrender to a Britannian. "Go to hell, _hure_!" he roared as he launched his last grenade at the large knightmare.

Rather than dodge, the Britannian frame simply activated its "Blaze Luminous" shield, which covered the entirety of the knightmare, just as the explosive impacted and detonated. The explosion hit the _Mordred_ with full force, but other than making it float back a little bit, it did no damage to the unit whatsoever, much to the shock of the two EU affiliated pilots. The _Mordred_ then wasted no time in dropping its shield and firing more homing beams.

Knowing that there was no way he could take the monstrous knightmare on at long-range, Fritz decided to try his hand at a point blank attack. He quickly dodged the incoming beams, not bothering to look back as they overwhelmed the last _Panther_ of his squad and destroyed it, focusing entirely on closing the gap between himself and the _Mordred_. A moment later, he was right on top of the Britannian frame, readying to smash the barrel of his rifle into its chest and let loose every bullet he had at point blank range. "_Stirb, hure_!" he roared.

However, the _Mordred_'s armor easily held up to the barrel easily, which shattered upon impact. And before Fritz could follow with another attack, the Seventh Generation knightmare reached out with its right hand and grabbed the _Panther_ by the torso, and then set to tighten its grip around the superconductor drive.

"Any last words?" Anya asked, the _Mordred_'s emerald green eyes staring down at her prey as she did.

All Fritz could do was roar in defiance as the _Mordred_ crushed his unit's powerplant and detonated it, erasing the existence of Fritz Seyfardt from the world.

Anya, for her part, simply watched the explosion play out, and once finished shook the _Panther_'s remains from her knightmare's hand. As far as she was concerned, another one of her enemies had been destroyed, but there were still many more to go. Not that she really minded; as far as she cared they could come at her with a Knight Giga Fortress and she'd still come out on top. She was a Knight of the Round, and therefore, she could handle anything. The only thing she really hoped for was that people would remember her when it was all said and done, and she took great strides to make sure that happened.

With that in mind, Anya decided to take a moment and gaze over the battle from her monitors. _It's almost over…_ Sure enough, the EU forces were being driven back in all sectors. It wouldn't be long now, Anya surmised, before Tripoli and with it all of Libya fell under Britannia's banner and become the latest Area.

"This is Lancer Three! There's a new enemy knightmare at Sector Omega Four! Oh my god… It's a monster…!" a message played out over broadband before turning into static.

"Hm?" Anya looked up.

"What the hell is that thing! I can't get a bead on…!"

"Damn it, it's all over the sky! We need support now-!"

"Can't anyone get a lock on the bast-AAAH!"

Anya blinked once. Whatever this new machine was, it was clearing through allied troops at a fast pace. And despite her normally uninterested demeanor, she felt a cold strain close around her chest, as well as the memory of a certain man and his custom high performance knightmare frame enter her mind. _Could it be him? The Desert Lion?_

"Anya, move toward Sector Omega Four! Whatever it is, we need to contain it before it any more of our troops!" the voice of Suzaku Kururugi commanded over the _Mordred_'s radio.

"Will comply." Anya said simply, pushing back her inner turmoil. She immediately put power into the _Mordred_'s thrusters and began to fly away, ready to face whatever this new challenger had to offer.

* * *

"Die already, monster!" a hapless _Sutherland _pilot screamed as he unleashed the full fury of his machine gun at an unwavering adversary. Despite the fact he seemed to be causing little amount of damage, the enemy machine swiftly launched what appeared to be an arm mounted rocket. However, it soon became apparent that this weapon was different from the standard explosive, as instead of detonating upon impact with the _Sutherland _like one would have originally expected it to, it instead exploded in midair. As well, instead of raining shrapnel on its target, it generated a massive ionic pulse that obliterated the attacking _Sutherland_ and the knightmares that had formed around it, leaving virtually no traces behind.

Upon seeing the detonation and the resulting destruction, the pilot within the knightmare's confined cockpit pod could only smirk. The weapons designers at Euroknight GmbH, the European Union's primary knightmare manufacturer, had truly outdone themselves with the blitzfaust, as well as the rest of the weaponry his truly advanced machine had to offer. A second later, he began moving again in search of new prey.

From there, two more _Sutherlands_ and a _Gloucester_ were destroyed just as quickly, the latest victims in the unwavering assault of the EU machine. Like an eagle, it swooped in from the sky following its latest kills, and took aim with its unique rifle and fired a single sapphire colored beam, also composed of ionized energy, into another _Sutherland_, which went straight through and caused it to detonate. More Britannian units attempted to attack, raining machine gun fire, slash harkens and grenades at its flight path, but the machine evaded all these with grace, and counterattacked with just as much ferocity. Even though Britannian victory was all but imminent, at least this Afrika Korps knightmare frame was continuing to hinder the Britannian advance in Tripoli, and the skies above the Libyan city were red with blood and metal as a result.

Twisting around, the machine fired a spray of beams from its blitzgewehr, yet another next generation weapon developed by Euroknight, that split the Britannian formation apart, and at the same time claiming yet another _Sutherland_ as its newest kill. The Britannians were quick to attempt to reestablish order, but the pilot of the venerable machine would not allow them to do so. Instead he charged, firing his slash harkens into a _Gloucester_, swinging it around a full one hundred eighty degrees before slamming it into the rooftop of a deserted building. It then flew toward a second _Gloucester_, one that was equipped with a standard machine gun rather than a lance, which fired a grenade at the incoming enemy. Much to the bad fortune of the Britannian pilot, the enemy pilot dodged the grenade with relative ease, although it came close to clipping the left wing of the unit's vector flight system, allowing the EU machine to fly around its target and drive the barrel of its blitzgewehr into the vulnerable cockpit block, before firing another beam right through and withdrawing to allow the pilotless _Gloucester_ to fall from the sky. This time, the Afrika Korps pilot didn't bother to watch the explosion.

"These Britannians are pathetic_._ Where are their masters_,_ _der schwarze Prinz_ and _die Ritter der Tafelrunde?_" the knightmare's gallant pilot muttered with distaste as he butchered his enemies like cattle. This was punctuated even further when he fired his second blitzfaust, which destroyed several more Britannian units upon impact.

Despite his pride, the pilot wasn't foolish enough to get distracted from the battle around him. So when his combat computer beeped a warning, he immediately heard it and set out to deal with it.

_From behind!?_ He thought, his eyes shifting to the side. His reflexes kicking into gear, he had his knightmare dodge to the side just as an enlarged blue slash harken shot past him. Following the harken cable back as it retracted, he immediately saw what looked like a strangely shaped fighter jet fly straight at him. Just looking over its design, the EU pilot recognized it as the _Tristan_, and sure enough the unit transformed into its knightmare form to attack.

"I think you've killed enough of our troops for one day friend!" Gino stated as he swung his poleaxe down for the kill.

The enemy unit evaded the poleaxe and flew backwards, all the while its pilot shot a grin. "I'll be the judge of that, _junge_." he replied.

"Go down!" he heard a voice yell from the side. Turning, the pilot just caught sight of the _Lancelot_ leveling its VARIS rifle and firing a shot, which he easily dodged and countered by firing another blitzgewehr burst. The _Lancelot_ in turn evaded the barrage with ease, and before it could be pursued, the EU knightmare's computer beeped yet another warning. The pilot was just barely able to avoid the _Mordred_'s homing beams by descending, eventually coming down to the street below and touching ground.

Almost instantly he was encircled. Various _Sutherlands_ and _Gloucesters_ came up from the street or descended from the sky to completely surrounding him, their various weapons poised to kill him at a given notice. At the same time the three Knights of the Round dropped down on the street as well, forming in front of him with the _Lancelot_ in the middle and the _Tristan_ and the _Mordred_ at its sides, also ready to kill him if he so much as moved. A moment of silence followed this, with the only sounds being distant explosions in the background from the battle that was still going on.

In the cockpit of the _Lancelot Conquista_, Suzaku was quickly able to identify the enemy knightmare. Although he had never seen it in person before up to this point, its design fit the photographs that Britannian intelligence had obtained some months earlier. _The European Union's premiere Eighth Generation knightmare frame, _Jaguar.

His gaze turned into a frown at that realization. _Looks like they've already begun production, and while Britannia is still struggling to get the _Vincent_ on the frontlines._

"Identify yourself." Gino spoke up, half to break the silence and half to know who the _Jaguar_'s pilot was. It was pretty obvious he was an ace, both from his displayed skills and the fact he managed to obtain such a high end knightmare despite being so far out from Europe.

Just as well, the pilot responded, a vidscreen appearing on all the Britannian frames' monitors, which displayed a handsome blonde haired man in an EU pilot suit with piercing blue eyes. "I am _Oberst_ Erich Hartmann of the European Union, _Deutches Staatheer Afrikakorps_. I wish to parley with your commander, _dem schwarzen Prinzen_."

Before anyone could reply, a velvety smooth voice entered over the radio and was heard by all the knightmares gathered. "So the Knight of the Skies wishes to speak to me directly? This should be interesting."

Well above the gathering, another knightmare frame was lowering itself to ground level, albeit at an almost leisurely speed. It was about two meters taller than average, fairly bulky and painted in a fantastic combination of black, gold, and red, all the while still retaining majesty and grace that one would expect out of a Britannian design. And just like the three frames belonging to the Knights of the Round, it was instantly recognizable to both Britannians and Europeans alike.

As soon as its landspinners touched onto the street, the _Gawain_ rose to its full height, almost as if it were to stare down the _Jaguar_. "This is Lieutenant General Lelouch vi Britannia, commander of His Majesty's Third Army. And I have some demands of my own to make, _Herr Oberst_."

"State your terms, 'Your Highness'." Hartmann replied, spitting out the last part as if it were poison, while the _Jaguar_'s mono-eye fixed itself directly into the _Gawain_'s twin ruby eye cameras.

"No terms." Lelouch swiftly answered. "I demand two things: the unconditional surrender of your forces, and the answer to this question." The prince made sure that he was looking the enemy ace directly in the eyes before he continued. "Where is Field Marshal Rommel?"

Much to the amazement of those gathered, the Knight of Skies gave a sharp bark-like laugh toward Lelouch's inquiry. "Well out of your reach, Britannian _schweine_." Hartmann stated. "I find your terms unacceptable and your presence vile. Therefore, I refuse to surrender to you or answer any more of your foolish questions."

While the insults did nothing to affect Lelouch's iron demeanor, he was now especially curious. _What is this man playing at?_ "Look around you Colonel. You are hopelessly outmatched; you have at least eighteen knightmares, three Knights of the Round and myself to contend with, plus many more to come. Even with that state of the art machine of yours, escape would be impossible."

"I have no intention of escaping, brat." Hartmann sharply answered with a determined leer. "Instead, I wish to throw you a gauntlet. You Britannians are fond of honorable duels, yes? If that's the case, I challenge you _Prinz_ Lelouch to a fight to the death; just you, myself and our knightmares. What say you, 'Your Highness'?"

Everyone, even the normally taciturn Suzaku, stared inconspicuously at the _Jaguar_, not believing what they were hearing over their respective radios. However, the moment was soon broken by the sound of a striking laughter coming from Prince Lelouch, laughter that made blood run cold and hearts freeze in their place. "You do realize, Colonel, that even if you emerge victorious, you lose anyway. My men will not give Tripoli back to you, nor allow you to depart this city alive should you manage to kill me."

Hartmann actually flashed a great smile in response. "I am aware of that. But at the very least, I will send one of Emperor Charles' unruly spawn to Hell before me. And that makes this fight all the more worthwhile."

Not liking where this was going, Suzaku had the _Lancelot_ step forward. "Your Highness, allow me to fight him in your place. There is no reason for you to risk yourself here and now."

Lelouch answered by having the _Gawain_ look over and rest a hand on the _Lancelot_'s shoulder, much like two humans would, to put Suzaku at ease. "No Suzaku, the challenge was issued to me alone. Besides, it would be rude not to honor the final request of a dead man." He then looked back toward the _Jaguar_. "Colonel Hartmann, I accept your challenge. Should we suspend the rest of the fighting for our duel?"

Hartmann shrugged at that. "I see no reason not to." He replied, then switching over to broadband. "This is _Oberst_ Hartmann to all units_._ Stand down and await instruction!"

Likewise, Lelouch also switched over to his force's general frequency. "This is Prince Lelouch vi Britannia. All Britannian forces, cease combat operations and await further orders. Over." With that finished, Lelouch looked back toward his adversary, ready to fight. "And now, Colonel, _en garde_!"

"_Möge der beste Mann gewinnen_, whelp!" Hartmann answered with a battle cry.

Immediately reactivating both of their respective flight systems, the _Gawain_ and _Jaguar_ shot into the sky at blinding speed. The battle quickly began, with the two knightmares beginning to attack and parry one another or fire their respective long-range weapons.

On the ground, Suzaku sighed in frustration as the rest of the gathered knightmares looked up, their pilots watching intently. Before he said what he was going to say, he made sure that he switched his comlink over to the Knight of the Rounds' private frequency. "I wish he wouldn't keep doing this. It's unbefitting of a Prince to engage in pointless battles like this one."

"Oh don't worry about him Suzaku." Gino replied, being far more optimistic than his comrade. "Lelouch has long proven himself to be able to hold his own in a fight. And unless Zero comes back from the grave to aid the EU, then we've pretty much won this battle."

"Recording." Anya said, having activated the _Mordred's_ battle recorder while keeping her main camera fixed on the fight. There was no doubt that she would put it up on her internet blog after the battle was over, should Lelouch emerge victorious anyway.

While he still felt this was a waste of time, Suzaku turned his attention back up to the sky like everyone else. As a little time passed however, Suzaku unconsciously smiled as he saw the duel continue to unfold.

* * *

It was the _Jaguar_ that made the first move, darting straight at the _Gawain_ in midflight, raising its blitzgewehr to spear it through its massive torso. Lelouch kicked his own thrusters on, blasting the _Gawain_ back and away from the other knightmare frame just as it fired, but keeping it close enough that when Lelouch moved to attack it would be swift and deadly. As if angered that it was not able to strike the _Gawain_, the EU knightmare unleashed a full barrage from its rifle, which Lelouch managed to dodge despite the large size of his knightmare.

"Is that the best you got, whelp? I thought Britannia's _schwarzer Prinz_ could put up a better fight than this!" Hartmann taunted, his heavily accented voice sounding both patronizing and hateful at the same time, while he continued the barrage.

Lelouch, in turn, could feel his grin reform at the thought of how challenging this would be. Although as royalty and a soldier Lelouch knew he shouldn't have enjoyed fighting so much, he just couldn't help himself in these circumstances. He never backed down from challenges, whether be it chess matches, horseback riding, or knightmare combat, and he relished at the difficulties his opponents presented. This was no different, despite the fact his life was on the line.

Knowing that his opponent was attempting to attack as close in as possible, possibly thinking that the larger _Gawain_ would be vulnerable in close combat, Lelouch decided to oblige anyway. Just as the _Jaguar_ closed the gap between them, apparently to attempt a point blank attack, jewel shaped generators on the _Gawain's_ arms began to glow and then in an instant generate a pair of long, gold colored energy blades on the forearms, which Lelouch used to slice the blitzgewehr into two pieces, rendering it useless. These were some of the latest weapons to be created by Britannia's Advanced Special Envoy Engineering Corps (ASEEC, or simply "Camelot"), the "Spatha Luminous". An evolution of the "Blaze Luminous" technology first experimented on with the _Lancelot_, the "Spatha Luminous" was made for offense in mind as opposed to the "Blaze Luminous'" defense, creating energy blades that could cut through any kind of metal or shielding with relative ease. However, because they used the same technology, the "Spathas" could be used as energy shields if there was a need, which was how Lelouch was using them now.

"So you can fight up close." Hartmann sneered, with bloodlust in his tone. Seeing its rifle now useless, the _Jaguar_ abandoned the remnant of its main weapon and flew back, with the _Gawain_ giving chase. Lelouch did not fail to notice that this was a reversal of positions, a fact that would have amused him had he not been so concentrated on slaying his foe.

As he came closer however, a pair of sheathes on the _Jaguar's_ back folded down, and the knightmare quickly drew their contents. At first, one would think that the EU machine had just drawn a pair of _Lancelot_ styled MVS, at least until one saw that instead of glowing in a familiar red, both blades turned blue from being superheated by ions being transmitted across their lengths. Even so, Lelouch brought his blades downward and clashed against his opponent's own blitzschwerts, emitting a crashing ring that shook either knightmares. The warrior prince found himself gritting his teeth together to weather the blows as a result.

And so the battle continued with an aerial sword fight, as both titans came at each other with blades bare and their pilots relentless. The "Spathas" and blitzschwerts clanged against each other again and again, with each pilot acting and reacting with the best of their skills. In the _Jaguar's_ cockpit, Hartmann found himself hating to admit it, but it seemed his earlier assumption about the _Gawain_ being cumbersome due to its size was sorely unfounded; both the large black knightmare and its pilot were quite easily keeping up with him in a drawn melee battle. The question was would they be able to hold out for long.

Soon enough, Lelouch struck first blood, having managed to make a rising slash with his right blade that threw his opponent's blitzschwert blades upward for a brief second, thus allowing him to stab the _Jaguar_ in the torso with his left blade. It wasn't a deep cut, as the _Jaguar_ had jetted back before Lelouch could deliver any killing damage, but it was still enough that a prominent scar was now displayed across the Afrika Korps knightmare's chest.

Needless to say, Hartmann was livid. "_Scheißkerl!_"

The _Jaguar's_ hip mounted slash harkens shot out and smashed against the _Gawain's_ armor; while it wasn't enough to punch through the hide, it did throw the larger frame off balance, which was all Hartmann wanted. The _Jaguar_ then shot forward and delivered a hard kick into the Britannian knightmare's "gut", as well as two overhead slashes with the blitzschwerts that would have easily cut into the black armor had Lelouch not managed to regain control, dodge the first, and parry the second.

Upon locking blades once more, Lelouch decided to give his opponent one last chance, although he already knew the Knight of the Skies would never take it. "If you wish to surrender, _Herr Oberst_, now would be the time. I promise that you will be treated as a prisoner of war as opposed to a corpse, which you will immediately become at the end of this battle. Your answer?"

The _Jaguar_'s mono-eye seemingly flashed in response, while metallic sounding laughter, the sort that conveyed both amusement and disdain, followed before the words came. "Not on your life, _abschaum_. I'd rather die knowing you will be in hell waiting for me!"

The _Gawain_'s pigeon blood colored eyes seemed to glow a little at the Knight of the Skies' proclamation. "So be it." Lelouch replied.

And with that, Lelouch broke away and distanced himself a little before switching over to his machine's hadron cannons. Hartmann just barely managed to catch sight of the _Gawain_'s shoulder plates opening to reveal the monstrous weapons, before twin streams of black and crimson shot out toward him. The _Jaguar_ immediately banked to the right to evade, but Lelouch kept the hadron streams up, chasing the EU knightmare across the sky.

It was at that point during the battle that Hartmann launched his two remaining blitzfausts at the larger knightmare to corner it. Lelouch, fully aware of what the weapons would do to his machine, fired both hadrons to vaporize them before they could close the gap. However, just as the hadron streams were about to make contact, the blitzfausts detonated prematurely and the resulting ionic pulses slammed into the _Gawain._ Fortunately, the shockwave lost the bulk of its power from its expansion before it hit the _Gawain_, so the great knightmare was merely thrown back through the air before Lelouch managed to regain balance.

While the pulses had not caused too much damage before cancelling out, Lelouch saw from his displays that, amidst the structural damage, his right hadron cannon had been destroyed while the left one was damaged but still functional; it was doubtful that he could fire it more than once. The prince was far from happy about the damage his machine had taken, but he was still in this fight. With nothing to lose and everything to gain, he had the _Gawain_ fly forward at the _Jaguar_. When he got close enough, he launched the right hand's finger slash harkens and entangled the EU machine, drawing it to him, then slashing either of the right shoulder with the left arm's "Spatha Luminous" blade before throwing it back across the sky.

"An eye for an eye." Lelouch stated over the comlink, which his opponent grinned venomously at.

And from there, the two knightmares danced back and forth in a great aerial ballet that seemed to go on for an eternity, as either pilot attacked or defended with their swords. The fierce style of the Knight of the Skies was easily a match for Black Prince's mechanically timed and precise movements, and for a while it seemed that this duel would continue even after the battle had been long won. Armor gashed and broken, power units draining, and with neither fighter willing to relent, the spectators began to wonder if their machines would end up falling out of the sky from under them before any victor could emerge.

At last then it seemed the end had finally come, as Hartmann had the _Jaguar_ ascend over the _Gawain_'s next slash, and bring both of its feet down hard in a twin kick that made the black machine stumble in midair. Following this, the _Jaguar_ latched onto the _Gawain_'s torso in a great embrace, then putting full power to its vector flight system, went into a vertical, g-force inducing dive. Before Lelouch could free himself from the embrace, Hartmann at long last released from his larger opponent just as it slammed head first into what was once a marketplace, having been abandoned before the battle had begun.

Lelouch's head rung from the impact, but by some miracle his machine had managed to take it, with very little damage done to the _Gawain_'s structure. Even the thin wings that made up the float system were unbent much less snapped. Lelouch reminded himself to send a royal commendation to Earl Asplund and the rest of the Camelot Corps for enhancing the _Gawain's_ armor and internal systems just as the _Jaguar_ dropped down onto the Britannian machine's pointed torso, balancing itself by planting one leg on the center "cone" and another on the right shoulder, while pointing a blitzschwert blade at the head. Due to the protrusion of the "humpback" cockpit, the _Gawain_ had not landed flat, and so looked as though it were leaning up with the _Jaguar_ standing on top of it.

From the corner of his eye, Lelouch saw his nearby troops raise their individual weapons while the _Lancelot_, _Tristan_ and _Mordred_ moved to the front, preparing to swipe the _Jaguar_ off of their prince's machine forcibly. However, Lelouch raised the _Gawain_'s left hand to signal them to 'wait' before any action could be taken.

"Concede defeat, 'Your Highness', and I will grant you a mercy killing." Hartmann called out over the radio once again.

Lelouch merely smiled, despite his situation. His adversary was exactly where he wanted him, and the good Colonel did not even realize it. "For a non-Britannian, you are quite the nobleman _Herr Oberst_. I see that the title 'Knight of the Skies' is not just for your skill in aerial combat. However, I'm afraid I must decline your offer."

One could almost hear the wonder in Hartmann's voice. "And why is that, exactly?"

Before he answered, the Prince's smile swelled until it threatened to encompass his entire face. _Checkmate._ "Because I am about to win."

Before Hartmann could enquire as to how that could happen, the left hadron cannon opened up and fired a beam that vaporized the entire right arm and shoulder assembly of the _Jaguar_, taking with it the blitzschwert it had been pointing at the _Gawain_'s head. Realizing too late that his opponent still had a working hadron cannon, Hartmann cursed and reengaged the vector flight system, shooting up into the air before the expected follow up blast could come.

However, that was exactly what Lelouch had predicted his opponent would do, even though he was unable to fire up a second shot; his computer indicated that the last one had disabled the cannon completely. Reengaging his own float system, he shot up after the _Jaguar_, both "Spatha Luminous" reignited. Flying at the _Gawain_'s maximum velocity, Lelouch intercepted the retreating EU frame, and despite it raising its left arm and remaining blitzschwert to defend, the _Gawain_ struck at the vulnerable right side. The result were cross diagonal slashes that ran all the way through to the cockpit, separating the _Jaguar_ into fourths, before the superconductor drive went critical and exploded, vaporizing all the pieces.

Breathing heavily now, Lelouch did not bother to turn around to see the explosion, instead witnessing it on his rear cameras. When it was finally over, he let out a dominant laugh that lasted for several moments, before he finally spoke again.

"Rest in peace, Erich Hartmann. And do not worry; you will have plenty more company on your end when we have finished winning this war." Lelouch said out loud, hoping that wherever Hartmann ended up, his words would reach him.

As if on cue, a communications window appeared, displaying the image of one of Lelouch's knightmare commanders. "Your Highness, the EU forces are falling back in all sectors, and those that are unable to have surrendered. It's over."

"Then victory is ours." Lelouch proclaimed, unconsciously settling upon his trademark grin, the one that was known by both his allies and his enemies, which perfectly reflected upon his self-confidence and his indomitable will. Knowing full well that all eyes were now looking up in the sky at the _Gawain_ as it hovered above the battle ruined city like a black angel of death, waiting for the response of the one who gave them this great victory, Lelouch quickly decided what he would follow up with.

And then he called out, with every inch of his being. "_ALL HAIL BRITANNIA!"_

"_**ALL HAIL BRITANNIA! ALL HAIL BRITANNIA! ALL HAIL BRITANNIA!**_" the soldiers roared, the fists of their knightmares rising into the air. With great speed, the chanting spread like wildfire, until almost every Britannian soldier within the city and around it had joined in, their cries of victory heard over the radio for miles. The only ones that weren't were currently occupied with holding down the latest prisoners of war.

But Lelouch knew, besides himself and those aforementioned soldiers, there were three others that didn't join in; they weren't required to, for no one doubted their allegiance to Britannia nor their contributions in this latest victory. However, as he looked down from his position at their respective frames, he saw that two of them were smiling with great pride while the last was focused on saving the video recording of Lelouch's battle.

All in all, another victory for the Holy Britannian Empire in the North African Front.

"_**ALL HAIL BRITANNIA! ALL HAIL BRITANNIA! ALL HAIL BRITANNIA! ALL HAIL BRITANNIA!**_"

* * *

With a trained hand and an exhausted mind, Lelouch at long last settled the _Gawain_ into a corner space of the former EU Tripoli base's hangar. After going through the shutdown procedure that he could have done in his sleep, and was tempted to, he opened the cockpit and stood up, relishing at the feeling of fresh air running against his sweat covered face.

Feeling absolutely no hesitation, he climbed down the shoulder and lowered himself to the ground with the cockpit zip-line. Immediately amidst the Britannian soldiers and personnel that were running back and forth across the hangar, he saw three figures standing on the ground waiting for him, noticeably wearing white pilot suits with the sleeves of each colored in green, blue and pink respectively; completely contrast to the standard blue and dark grey ones normal pilots wore or Lelouch's own custom black and gold suit. As his eyes focused more from being out of the cockpit, he saw that Gino had his usual warm, friendly smile, while Suzaku possessed a more subtle-yet-quite-proud smirk, and finally Anya still had her seemingly blank stare, but held a twinkle in the back of her eyes that only those who knew her best could detect. Lelouch couldn't help but return the smile himself, just as he lowered himself to ground level and moved to meet the group. "I trust you all enjoyed the show?"

"Hell yeah! You were the best out there Lelouch!" Gino shouted jubilantly, slapping a hand on Lelouch's shoulder as soon as he touched the ground. "I think even Bismarck will be proud of your latest performance, although he'll be disappointed that he wasn't able to see it in person."

"Compliments from a Knight of the Round? This is a good day indeed." Lelouch replied jokingly, before looking over at Anya. "You recorded the entire battle?"

"All recorded." Anya simply acknowledged just as she brought up her cellphone, which she always had on her person, to snap a picture of Lelouch. Lelouch in turn flashed a smile for the camera, knowing that it would later appear on a Britannian teen magazine cover somewhere. But Lelouch didn't mind that; he was a required celebrity after all, just like every other Prince and Princess, although due to his youth and good looks he enjoyed a large amount of popularity among the younger crowd.

"You do realize, of course…" Suzaku started to say as he also came around to face Lelouch. "…that if your hadron cannon hadn't been working, then you would have truly been cornered."

"Heh." Lelouch laughed a little, knowing that Suzaku did have a point. "Yes, it would have been far more difficult to get out of that situation, but I believe I would have found another way. And it would not have been any less spectacular."

The Knight of Seven didn't seem to be convinced. "Whatever you say, Your Highness."

Gino quickly slapped Suzaku across the back. "Ah cool it Suzaku. You're just mad because you didn't get to fight him. Lelouch won in the end, so what does it matter?"

Suzaku opened his mouth to reply, but found little point to a rebuttal. Instead, he returned to his small smirk, which was the most he would allow to show in all his seriousness. "True enough. But next time someone fires one of those ion rockets at you, you should just focus on flying as far back as you can; the shockwave is less damaging the more distance you put in front of it."

"I'll keep that in mind Suzaku." Lelouch said, not at all bothered to being critiqued, especially by someone as experienced in knightmare frame combat as Suzaku Kururugi.

While others among Britannian royalty would have been taken aback by anyone correcting them on anything, even those as elite as Knights of the Round, the Eleventh Prince had fought with these three for so long that to him there was no social barrier between them. Whatever their titles and positions were, the four of them were friends and comrades at the end of it all, so much that Lelouch allowed, and in fact preferred, for them to refer to him by just his first name instead of "Prince Lelouch" or "His Highness". Back home, they might have gotten a few people riled over the lack of protocol, but all the way out here in North Africa, they were as informal as possible among royalty and nobility, and nobody wished or dared to correct them.

Even before this assignment, Lelouch had known Suzaku, Gino and Anya from his days at the Academy; his father had required him to go through the Imperial Military Academy Norfolk, just like any other Britannian who wished to become a soldier, before he was allowed to take military command. It was there that he trained with those three and other Knights of the Round in practically all forms of combat, and although he had difficulty adjusting through the initial days, he still managed to graduate in just over a year without any special treatment. When it came time for him to receive command, he had requested that the Knights of Three, Six and Seven be assigned to him as advisors, field commanders and specialists. The Emperor saw no reason to turn down his request, and so the three had followed him all the way out here.

Along that line of thinking, Lelouch began to reminisce within himself, just as Gino was going on about the magnificence of one of his own latest kills. At the current time, it had been five years since the Great World War II had begun, and three years since Lelouch had been given command of the Third Army and sent to the African continent to conquer it from the European Union, Area by Area. Through those three years, he had conquered much of the continent since initially landing in Senegal (now Area 23), fighting through hostile environments and equally hostile enemies, all the while suffering many casualties and logistical setbacks that had forced him to improvise with what little he had at the time. For this accomplishment, along with his strategic competency and considerable skills at the controls of a knightmare frame, his enemies had dubbed him the Black Prince of Britannia.

Now with Libya becoming the latest Area, all that seemed to remain was the enemy command center at El Alamein itself. And already Lelouch's mind was making up various plans and strategies as to how he would wipe away the EU's key command center and from there bring all of Africa under Imperial control.

"Hey, Lelouch? Hello-oo!" Gino called out.

That was enough to snap Lelouch back to reality. "I'm sorry, I was just thinking about things. You were saying Gino?"

"Man, you're useless." Gino sighed as if annoyed. "I was saying as soon as we are settled in, we should check out this city more thoroughly and enjoy the finer things in life. I mean, how long has it been since any of us has gotten laid?"

"Gino, you shouldn't say things like that!" Suzaku snapped, eyes wide.

"Hey, of all the people here, I think you're the one who could use it the most Suzaku. Who knows, you might lighten up a bit." Gino said with a wink, which seemed to make Suzaku even more perturbed.

As amused as Lelouch was to see Suzaku shaken, the point was still made. "Regardless of that, Suzaku has a point Gino. There might still be some pockets of resistance in this city, all more than willing to kill a Prince or Knight of the Round that foolishly wanders out in the open. So for the time being, you'll have to contend with whatever comfort this base offers."

"Ah man…!" Gino pouted, like a twelve year old who had just been told to stay home and do his homework while his friends went out to play. "And I heard so many things about this town…!"

"Boring." Anya quipped as well. While she wasn't the type to seek out carnal indulgences like her male counterparts, she had been hoping to look around the city herself after the battle was over.

"I didn't say it was permanent, just that you will have to wait a day or so before you can go sightseeing." Lelouch explained. Inside, he also considered checking out this city's night life, having also heard the things Gino had been referring to. If there was one thing royals did best, it was having a good time. "Just relax for now, alright? There's still plenty of time before we make our move against El Alamein."

Before Gino or Suzaku could say anything else, the latter looking as though he were going to object to such behavior, a soldier baring the rank tabs of a 1st Lieutenant ran up to the group and quickly saluted. "Excuse me General." he spoke, addressing Lelouch directly through his heavy breathing. "But we have just received a transmission from the _Avalon_. I had it sent to the base commander's office for your viewing, if you wish to follow me."

Lelouch arched an eyebrow at that, and the three Knights looked confused too. _Why would Schneizel call at a time like this? _"Very well, lead the way Lieutenant."

* * *

After the Lieutenant saluted toward the gathered Knights of the Round, he turned and began to walk away, Lelouch following with doubt in his heart. Whatever the reason was, the Black Prince didn't think this was going to be a social call from his brother.

With a small pause, the Lieutenant hurriedly opened the door to the office, and almost immediately Lelouch was unimpressed with what he saw inside. He had up to this point been thinking that the base commander here in Tripoli, the nerve center of all of Libya, would have had better accommodations than what was before him. _I guess the EU has been cutting back on resources more than we expected._

Obviously, there wasn't anything special to describe about his office. In fact, it looked more like a regular business office than something that belonged to a military commander, i.e. blank white walls, a picture or two adorning the walls of who presumably had been the original occupant and some other people, a generic looking oak desk and papers littered across the floor. Placed behind the desk was a big leather chair and two smaller guest chairs in front of it. Blue covered the floor, which added some much needed color to the room, and a leather bound couch had been placed on one side, both as additional seating space for guests/clients and possibly a makeshift bed. Further back from the desk on either side were two flags: one being the black, red and gold striped banner belonging to the European state of Germany, and the other being far more majestic in design, despite being made in similar colors.

The second flag Lelouch recognized as the flag of the European Union; a black, white and yellow horizontal striped banner that held the ancient Napoleonic French coat of arms at its center, signifying its founding under Napoleon Bonaparte, which in turn was surrounded by twelve golden stars. Compared to Britannia's flag, it was much simpler in design, but still made one sense the power and majesty of what the flag represented, and Lelouch had a feeling that this wouldn't be the last time he would see it for himself.

Other than that, the desk had a flat monitor computer placed on it, which was what Lelouch would be using for his call from the Britannian air cruiser _Avalon_. So after saluting once more, which Lelouch returned, the Lieutenant dismissed himself, leaving Lelouch alone in the office. Knowing that, he took the opportunity to relax a little bit; the battle was over and it was doubtful he would be going back out into combat anytime soon. At least not for today.

Taking all this in, he walked over to his desk and sat down on the leather chair. Casually, he looked over the various pictures that adorned the desk, once again featuring the man who Lelouch believed was the base commander posing with different officers and politicians. Among them was a picture of a man, dressed in the standard EU German State Army grey uniform with officer's cap and overcoat draped over shoulders, while at the same time holding the rank pips of a Field Marshal, numerous medals including the infamous Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves, Swords and Diamonds, and a pair of goggles adorned over his cap. The man himself was a broad shouldered man with slightly tanned skin, as well as shoulder length dark red hair and a grin that could only be described as 'devilish'. Lelouch knew who that man was, as well as everyone under his command. Field Marshal Erwin "Desert Lion" Rommel, commander of the German State Army Afrika Korps as well as all European forces in North Africa.

Lelouch stared at the picture for a short while, before putting on a "game face" and hitting a key on the computer. In the next moment, he was looking at the always pleasant face of his elder brother, Second Prince Schneizel el Britannia. But despite that, Lelouch did not allow himself to be at ease just yet. "Schneizel."

"Lelouch." Schneizel started. "First my congratulations on your victory in Tripoli. I look forward to reading the reports on your success later."

This time, Lelouch allowed himself to smile a little. Schneizel was always true when he offered praise. "This was a hard one to accomplish, even with the EU having pulled back as much of the defenses as they had. For all their logistical problems, the Afrika Korps are still difficult opponents." He then dropped the smile to show a serious face. "However, I do not think you called me to hear about my latest victory."

"Unfortunately no." Schneizel nodded, his face turning serious as well. "As you know, the Day of the Founding is coming up soon…"

At that mention, Lelouch felt something in him wither and die. The Day of the Founding was the celebrated holiday that marked the very day when Eowyn established the Holy Britannian Empire and was made the first Emperor, completely changing the era as it was known back then. Ever since, it had been celebrated every year for the past two thousand years or so, and even to this day true blooded Britannians never held back on the festivities. It was the end all of celebrations for their world.

However, that wasn't the problem Lelouch saw. The problem was that before each Day of the Founding, all royals and nobles, from the Emperor to the lowest Baron, were required to return to the Britannian mainland to partake in the festivities, no matter where they were in the world or what they were doing at that time. That tradition had been in place for as long as the holiday had existed, and while Lelouch was normally quite willing follow it, if only for the short respite that he gained from it, now was far from the best time, especially when his forces were so far onto the enemy's doorstep. He berated himself for forgetting about this, as he usually planned events like this in advance without fail.

"With all due respect Schneizel…" Lelouch began, feeling as though a hand were gripping at his throat. "Now is not the best time for myself or my commanders to return to the mainland, no matter what day it is."

If Schneizel seemed dissatisfied by Lelouch's answer, he did not show it. "I can understand that with how far your forces have advanced brother, but they will have to make do without you for the next few days. The Emperor has already sent out a standing order for everyone of royal and noble class to return to Britannia, and there will be consequences for those that do not."

"Does His Majesty realize what would happen if the EU catch word that key enemy leaders in North Africa were recalled to the mainland for a grandiose party?" Lelouch inquired.

The response Schneizel gave was a barely noticeable shrug, the kind he gave when he agreed with something but was forced to do the opposite anyway. "I have gone over this with our father extensively, on your behalf as well, but he is not willing to make exceptions. I'm sorry Lelouch, but neither of us have a choice in the matter."

Lelouch closed his eyes, wondering if he could somehow convince the Emperor to at least let him stay in Africa. However, seeing as how Schneizel, who besides being the Second Prince was also the Chancellor of Britannia and therefore the one closest to the throne politically, was unable to change their father's mind, then Lelouch doubted his own words would have an effect. Sighing, he decided all he could do was bite the bullet. "Have arrangements been made for my group's return?"

"Yes, individual arrangements are being made as we speak." Schneizel replied. "However, for you and the Knights of the Round that are with you, I will be bringing the _Avalon_ to meet you personally. By my estimation, we should be around Morocco in about three days."

At that, Lelouch allowed his smile to return. "Well, at least I can't complain about the ride back to the homeland. Will Earl Asplund and his Camelot Corps be with you?"

"Yes, and I have Earl Asplund's word that he is personally looking forward to seeing Suzaku and the _Lancelot_ again." Schneizel explained.

"Heh." Lelouch replied. "I'm sure Suzaku will be more than happy to hear that. Well, I guess I'll have nothing better to do by then except see Libya's transformation into Area 45 go more smoothly."

"46. We took the remainder of Great Britain a few days ago." Schneizel corrected.

Despite his circumstances, even Lelouch couldn't resist laughing at that. Now the original Britannian homeland of Britain, lost to Napoleon centuries ago after the disastrous Battle of Trafalgar and the Humiliation of Edinburgh, was Imperial territory once again. "So we have finally returned to our true homeland, after two hundred and eighteen years in exile. I'm sure our beloved Empress Elizabeth is laughing in her grave."

"I suppose you could see it that way." Schneizel said with an amused chuckle, clearly not failing to see the irony either. "Three days Lelouch. Head toward Morocco airspace, and I will send the exact coordinates to your knightmares by then."

The younger prince nodded. "We will be there. Just hope you have no trouble getting there yourself, Schneizel."

"I doubt we will have any more than you will Lelouch. Until then, little brother." Schneizel replied affectionately, before signing off.

* * *

As patient as ever, Suzaku waited outside the office that his leader was in now, arms crossed and face impassive. Lelouch had been in there for more than a few minutes, and with Gino and Anya pursuing other activities that Suzaku himself did not feel like joining them in, he decided to wait outside while the only other person in this building that he could call his friend was finishing his call. He had not even bothered to change out of his pilot suit.

While Suzaku had been a noble long enough to know better than to eavesdrop on a conversation between royals, he couldn't help but wonder what they were talking about now. Even more so, he couldn't help but worry if something Second Prince Schneizel said somehow triggered the repressed memories in Lelouch's psyche. While it had been eight entire years since the Black Rebellion and his dragging the then Lelouch Lamperouge, aka Zero, before the Britannian Emperor, there had been know abnormal changes in Lelouch's conditioned behavior since then. As much as he despised Geass, he had to admit that the Emperor's was very efficient in its function, although the Emperor himself had warned Suzaku that he could not totally alter his son's mind; his Geass could only suppress memories, not erase them entirely. Thus, there was the possibility that a certain event may trigger the reemergence of Lelouch's original memories. Something to that effect had come close at least once already, but it had been prevented, although now Lelouch wore a scar over his left eye because of it.

Still, Suzaku couldn't help but be nervous whenever Lelouch was alone, even if it was an exaggerated nervousness. _The chances of his remembering himself as Zero are a million to one, if that. But there is still a chance._

Of course, there was also the possibility that Lelouch did actually remember his past, and was only pretending to be Lelouch vi Britannia, Eleventh Prince and loyal son of Britannia, until an opportunity for his escape could present itself. Suzaku didn't want to think that, but it was still possible; the Black Prince was as crafty as they came, which was the primary reason Lelouch was able to accomplish so many things, even now in Africa. Suzaku hoped that, should his memories return, he himself would be sharp enough to pick up on the subtle changes to Lelouch's behavior. Which was part of the reason why he was standing outside that office to begin with.

Just then, the office door opened and Lelouch emerged, a little surprised to see Suzaku standing out there. "Been waiting long?"

"Gino went out to find whatever alcohol this base has in its inventory, and Anya is looking for a computer so that she can upload her latest battle recordings. So I decided to wait on you." Suzaku shrugged. "May I inquire as to what that call was about?"

Lelouch sighed. "We're being recalled to the mainland in preparation for the Day of the Founding; the _Avalon_ will be in our airspace within three days to pick us up. And thank you for reminding me."

"Don't blame me." Suzaku said with bemusement. "You of all people should know to check the calendar for important dates."

The prince looked at the knight with equal bemusement. "And you sound too upbeat for having received news like this. Don't tell me you're actually looking forward to going home and hobnobbing with the other nobles; I thought more of you than that Suzaku."

The Knight of Seven just offered a knowing glance. "I don't mind the break, but I'm not looking forward to the party. There was only one person who could make that kind of occasion fun, but she's gone now."

That made Lelouch stop in his tracks, with a small frown forming over his face. "Yes…" he said solemnly. "She did always know how to turn the most boring activities into something to remember. I will always miss her, especially for that part of her."

Suzaku nodded, subconsciously rubbing against the Knight pendent he continued to wear on his pilot suit, despite the one who had given it to him being long dead. "Well, she wouldn't want either of us to be upset in a time of celebration, would she? I might not have grown up with her like you have, but I knew that much about her."

"You're right of course." Lelouch replied. And so they continued walking. "At the very least I can rely on you to have my back if I get cornered by some old Count who wants to show me pictures of his grandchildren."

"I'm not worried." Suzaku acknowledged, looking at the Prince and above all else his friend fondly. Even though Lelouch didn't remember a thing, they still somehow managed to be the best of friends, as well as completely open to each other. At least, that's how Suzaku wanted it to be, even if it was a fantasy. "I just hope you do the same for me if that happens."

"You? Hah! If I find a promising girl there, I'm leaving you to the sharks." Lelouch replied sharply.

That made Suzaku wonder for a moment. "You know that's becoming a dangerous habit with you and Gino. Maybe you should consider becoming celibate for this one time."

"Not on your life, Percival." Lelouch shot back, referring to the Knight of the Round Table who reportedly stayed pure throughout his lifetime and not the knightmare frame belonging to the current Knight of Ten. "We princes have a reputation to keep."

"Which is why knights like myself always end up saving your kind from a dark but well deserved fate." Suzaku fired back with equal force.

"Why do you think _my _kind has kept _your_ kind around for so long?" Lelouch retorted.

The echoes of laughter from the Black Prince and the White Knight filled the hallway from that point on.

* * *

TO BE CONTINUED…

**Author's Notes:** First, a few notes with the European Union, the name of which I purposely used that instead of Euro Universe because it fits better between Britannia and the CF (an Empire, a Union and a Federation each). Although they were only shown prominently in one episode of R2, and it was only a brief scene at best, I always thought of the EU as an inverse of the real life Axis Powers. This comes from the grey uniforms, which look very Third Reich-ish in design, and the fact their only known knightmare frame was given a German name. With that idea, I will try to do a better job showcasing them than the official writers did, and expect a lot of World War II references to follow (I'm sure people will recognize a few in this chapter alone).


	3. Chapter 03: Shadows on the Horizon

"_Vengeance is much more fun to achieve when your target is, at the onset, unaware of your continued existence and equally surviving hatred towards them."_  
- Zero

**Chapter 03: Shadows on the Horizon**

**Britannian air cruiser _Avalon_  
Casablanca Settlement, Area 29 (Morocco), Holy Britannian Empire  
March 21, 2025 a.t.b.**

_I still can't believe this…_ Lelouch thought in frustration, wondering if he could have gotten any more uncomfortable with the situation. The moment he stepped out of the _Gawain_'s cockpit and lowered himself down to the _Avalon_'s hangar deck, he immediately began to feel as though he were making a grave mistake that could not only cost Britannia its foothold in Africa, but would also be personally humiliating to him. Of course, he supposed there was a chance that the EU would _not_ press the advantage of his _not_ being there to run things, and that even if they did his own subordinate commanders would be able to hold the line long enough until he returned. But even with that line of thinking, Lelouch was not looking forward to the inevitable mess that he would be forced to clean up once he did came back, and so either way he figured, he was going to have many more sleepless nights following this endeavor. Not that he hadn't had any before.

Regardless, whatever discomfort Lelouch had was safely kept deep within himself as he walked up to the entourage that had been assembled within the hangar to meet his group's arrival. Subconsciously, he made sure that Suzaku, Gino and Anya were right there beside him through his peripheral vision. They were there, as he had suspected, all notably dressed in their Knight of the Round uniforms complete with their uniquely colored cloaks as opposed to their pilot suits. He himself was also in his full uniform, although his was somewhat different from everyone else's. While his own Britannian Army uniform was based on the standard design, including the field beret, it had been customized against to show off Lelouch's status as a Prince: instead of the now standard green, it was colored in his traditional jet black color with golden lines running up and down certain areas, along with equally bullion colored epaulettes and several medals across the chest, all of which Lelouch had been awarded for his performance in the African Front and not because he was royalty. Completing the uniform was an equally black cloak that was slightly modeled after the ones the Knights of the Round all wore, which was something of a gift from Lelouch's instructor. At the very least it was comfortable to wear and gave Lelouch a sense of majesty in himself, so he really had no problems wearing the uniform when he could afford it.

In unison, the assembled officers up ahead were quick to drop down and kneel before the Prince as he approached. At first Lelouch was a little taken back by the display, as he had only required his men to salute him upon approach as opposed to fully kneeling, but then he remembered that these were not his troops to begin with. Thus, he kept his attention focused as the head of the group, Schneizel himself, walked out to meet him. "It's been so long since we've met face to face like this, hasn't it Lelouch?"

At long last, the Black Prince allowed himself to smile as his elder brother came up to him. He had no reason to doubt Schneizel's acceptance toward him. "Too long, Schneizel. _C'est la guerre_."

"True enough." Schneizel replied, putting his hands on his brother's shoulders as some form of affection. "Regardless, I'm glad to see that you are still healthy, little brother, especially with the heightened resistance that the EU has been putting forward lately. I trust you had no problems coming here?"

"None. Our airspace has remained clear." Lelouch answered, nodding in acknowledgement. He then lowered his voice into a small whisper, so that only Schneizel could hear the next part. "But I'm still not entirely reassured about going home at a time like this…"

"In truth, neither am I, but we above all others are duty bound to honor our father's wishes. Besides, I doubt the EU will be able to regain the initiative in such a short time." Schneizel said in an equally soft tone.

Lelouch scoffed at that. "Easy for you to say. You only have to deal with those blundering fools in Western Europe. The Desert Lion, on the other hand, actually knows how to wage a war properly, which is why it's taken us nearly three years to get this far instead of only a few months."

The Second Prince offered his young brother a light snicker at that remark. It wasn't like Lelouch to get so frustrated. "Yes, we have all heard much about General Rommel's exploits in the African Front, and Earl Asplund is still livid what he did to the _Lancelot_ not long ago. Though it might not be reassuring enough, I can say is you will just have to place faith in your subordinates, Lelouch, to hold the lines until your return."

"Yes, yes." Lelouch agreed, even if he still wasn't entirely convinced as Schneizel had noted.

Offering him one more smile, Schneizel took his hands off of Lelouch and faced toward the Knights of Three, Six and Seven, who had also knelt down upon his approach. "Sir Weinburg, Sir Kururugi and Lady Alstreim. It has also been a long time since I've seen any of you. You may rise."

"Your Highness honors us with his remembering." Suzaku exclaimed for all three of them as they immediately came back to their feet.

"Nonsense Suzaku. I could never forget valiant knights such as you three." Schneizel replied.

"And no 'hello' for us Suzaku? I'm crushed!" said an obnoxious sing-song voice from behind the Second Prince. Immediately, all eyes looked to see Lloyd Asplund, scientist, engineer and 8th Earl of Colchester, and his assistant Lieutenant Colonel Cecile Croomy walk up to the group with smiles of their own. As well, within Cecile's arms was Arthur, the cat Suzaku rescued years ago who had also been one of the few to survive the Devastation of Japan.

"Lloyd! Cecile!" Suzaku said out loud with nothing but pure joy in his voice.

"Oh now you acknowledge our presence. I guess being Knight of Seven has made you forgetful…" Lloyd began to say before Cecile slapped him across the back of the head. "Ow! That hurt…" he moaned as he rubbed the spot that had been hit.

"As you can see, Lloyd has not changed since the last time we met unfortunately." Cecile said with tinge of annoyance in her otherwise pleasant demeanor. "But that doesn't mean he's not happy to see you all again, and neither am I for that matter."

Right after Cecile finished that sentence Arthur jumped out of her arms, ran and leaped into Suzaku's, and immediately chomped down on his left index finger. Suzaku yelped quite comically at that. "Nice to see you again too, Arthur."

That earned a small bit of laughter from the group before Schneizel started again. "Well, now that we've all become reacquainted, it will be approximately a day before we reach the borders of the mainland. Until then, we have quarters prepared for all of you to make the trip all the more comfortable. Lieutenant Alfonse will show you the way."

* * *

With its passengers received, the _Avalon_ turned away toward the west along with its escort of two _Caerleon_-class air destroyers. As they did, the massive shadows of all three vessels fell over the city of Casablanca like storm clouds, casting a dark and lingering presence upon the city, which had only become part of Area 29 with the rest of Morocco not long ago. The citizens themselves looked up in either fear or admiration, depending upon who was a supporter of Britannia and who wasn't, and several of them were even able to recognize the _Avalon_ herself as the flagship of Second Prince Schneizel el Britannia. That thought alone caused an equal amount of dread in several people, as the Second Prince and Prime Minister of Britannia was not a man to be trifled with in any way.

But despite the large amount of attention being paid to the air, no one, not even the soldiers aboard the three airships knew that there was a fourth shadow in the mix: further back from any of the Britannian vessels, another airship lurked within a group of clouds, its presence undetected by any and all. The vessel was clearly of a different design than any of the Britannian ships; for one thing, it was larger and more defined than even the _Avalon_, while possessing a striking black and grey colored hull that would have been easy to pick up had anyone been looking for it. It held at least eight guns across its aforementioned hull in different positions, the largest of which was on the ventral side towards the bow, sticking out like a still standing tree in the middle of a desolated forest, as well as two launch catapults for knightmare frames on either sides of the upper deck. And as if it wasn't apparent enough that this ship was a predator among predators, the bow held a pair of long horn like apertures, further giving a demonic appearance to the ship.

However, even the horns took a backseat to this mysterious vessel's most prominent detail: the sigil painted at the very forefront, which could be likened to an upward pointed sword with wings reaching out at its base, painted in metallic silver which contrasted with the rest of the ship's color scheme. Years ago, many in the world would have recognized that symbol, almost as much as the Britannian golden crest, but now it had been forgotten like the rest of the force that it represented. It would not be long, however, before that sigil was remembered once again.

In spite of the power it possessed, as it would have been a true match for the _Avalon_ and the twin _Caerleons_, the vessel seemed to be content with staying within the wake of the small Britannian force, which was now flying across Morocco's coastline. And like the silent hawk that stayed far from the eyes of its prey while in flight, it followed, patiently waiting for the best moment to strike.

* * *

Suzaku's next shot caused the cue to hit the six ball, which rebounded around the table three times before it sank into the middle pocket.

"Shit." Gino cursed, as that shot put Suzaku in the lead. None of them had played pool in quite some time, yet while Gino was still trying to regain a feel for the game, Suzaku was going at it like it had not been so long. "How the hell are you doing it? Are you tipping the table when I'm not looking?"

"You have to plan your shots out better Gino, think about where and how you want to lead the cue. Just hitting it and hoping for the best won't do you any good." Suzaku replied as he set up for his next shot. After a moment, he hit the cue, which ran into the nine and knocked it into another pocket, while in the process also hit the five and made it bounce around the table twice.

"Don't lecture me Suzaku, I was the one who taught you the game in the first place!" Gino retaliated.

"Weak." Anya said to that. At the moment, she was stoically playing with Arthur by shooting a laser pointer across the walls, which the cat relentlessly dove after.

"What can I say? It's the apprentice's duty to surpass the master." Suzaku said, having lined up for his next shot. His plan was for the cue to hit the four and essentially tap it into one of the corner pockets, which it was directly across from. However, he didn't hit the cue ball hard enough and the four just barely hovered over the corner.

"Finally. I thought we'd get to Pendragon before my turn came up." Gino said, getting up with pool stick in hand to take his shot. "Now you can watch as the 'master' puts his arrogant 'apprentice' in a well deserved place."

Suzaku backed away to allow the Knight of Three room so that he could lean over to reach the cue. After a few moments, Gino calculated where he wanted the ball to go and made his shot. The cue quickly hit the twelve ball and placed it into a corner pocket, then ricocheting onto the fourteen ball and putting it just above one of the middle pockets.

"Yeah, that's the way I like it: smooth and well executed." Gino stated triumphantly.

Suzaku ignored the gloat, instead stepping back a little to lean against a nearby wall. With nothing to occupy his hands, aside from holding the pool stick, he absent mindedly pulled out his Knight pendent from one of his uniform's pockets and slowly rubbed any visible lint or blemish off with a gloved finger. It was a habit of his that he had gained when he was a boy with his old pocket watch, one that he had yet to rid himself of. Idle hands and all.

Peering up as he was lining to make his next shot, Gino caught sight of the watch and instantly frowned. Suzaku had told him and Anya about it a long time ago, how it was the only momento of Princess Euphemia that had survived Area 11 with him. However, Suzaku never told them why he still kept it on his person when he was no longer a regular Knight, nor another certain question. "You know you never did answer me that time."

Suzaku looked back up. "And what question was that exactly?"

Without meeting his gaze, Gino continued. "Why do you still fight?"

This inquiry made even Anya look toward the two, creating a fairly tense atmosphere between the three Knights of the Round. When Suzaku didn't answer him, Gino clarified further. "You told me a long time ago the reason you became a soldier of the Empire was you wanted to ascend to Knight of One, so that you could win back the freedom of your race. But now the country of Japan no longer exists and what remains of its people are scattered across the world. Yet you continue to fight for Britannia."

"Are you questioning my loyalty, Sir Weinburg?" Suzaku shot back.

"Heh." Gino let out. Suzaku only referred to him like that when Gino was prodding into something the Knight of Seven didn't want to discuss, but Gino wasn't going to let him off this time. "No, I would never question your devotion or your character. I just want to know why you're fighting, since your original motivation is gone."

The sound of Gino taking his next shot and sending the cue ball into the fourteen ball, which sank into one of the middle pockets, was the only thing that broke the silence which ensued. Suzaku himself wasn't sure whether he wanted to answer the question or not; while he did have a reason for his continuing to fight on Britannia's behalf, at least one beyond the fact it was the last refuge he had in the world, it was still not a subject he cared to share with others. Despite his ethnicity, Suzaku being the Knight of Seven was usually enough for people to acknowledge the Japanese knight as a loyal soldier of the Empire, but now he was being questioned by one of his equals and his friend. Had it been anyone lower and Suzaku would have not bothered to respond.

"The reason I fight on…" Suzaku finally answered. "…is because the world is chaotic. Despite the progress that humans have made, we still have yet to put aside our differences and unite together under one ideal, and this war is the result of that. Therefore, I feel that it is necessary for Britannia to conquer the world and join all countries and ideals together under a single power."

Despite his best effort to hold it in, Gino was visibly a little shaken at that. He didn't know why, but it bothered him to hear that from a non-Britannian, especially someone as noble and humane as Suzaku. "Even if it means subjugating all other countries the same way that your own was?"

"If it were up to me, each Area would have the same rights and entitlements that any regular Britannian state and citizenry would have." Suzaku replied quickly and to the point. "But that is not for me to decide. Only the Emperor may decide how these countries will be treated. My only concern is that after this war is over, the world will come to peace."

After saying that statement, Suzaku stared down at the pendent and remembered his father, Prime Minister Genbu Kururugi, slumped on his knees, his head staring down at the knife that a much younger Suzaku had driven through his heart, right before he collapsed dead. Suzaku could still remember how he felt back then, and how far he went just to save his civilization and certain other things from further bloodshed, and how it was practically the same thing that kept him going now. "I don't want to see any more innocents suffer from the warfare and violence that's been occurring throughout this era. And if that means I must help Britannia conquer the entire world, Area by Area, then I will be willing to pay whatever price in the end."

"Hm." Gino said as he tried to hit the cue ball into the eleven ball. For a reason that was unknown to either Gino or Suzaku, Gino had the cue ball completely miss the eleven ball and roll slowly across the table, not touching a single ball as it did. "Do you really think we'll be able to do that Suzaku? Conquer the whole world and bring out an era of peace not seen since Pax Romania?"

"Once the European Union falls, the world will have no choice but to work together under the Imperial banner. This I am sure of." Suzaku stated.

Gino took that explanation well, signified by the return of his lighthearted expression. "Alright, I guess that's as good of an explanation as any. Your shot by the way."

Nodding, Suzaku put away his pendent and returned to the table, ready to resume his match. As he lined up the ball however, one last thought came through his mind.

_The world will come to peace and humans will come to understand each other. Just as Euphie would have wanted._

* * *

"The oscillation rate of the MVS is up by point-eight percent." Cecile noted with satisfaction, smiling at her handiwork. Wiping some sweat off her forehead, she turned toward the _Lancelot_'s cockpit block. "Suzaku has really pushed this knightmare to its limits since the last overhaul, even with the _Conquista_ enhancements in place."

Inside the cramped cockpit, Lloyd continued his work on modifying his beloved creation's control systems, although he was considering pausing to go get some coffee. "It's to be expected of him." he said as his fingers continued to work. "He's come a long way these past few years since we found him in the Shinjuku ghetto. Unfortunately he has yet to rid himself of that standoffishness of his, so bothersome…"

"At least he seems to be working well with Prince Lelouch." Cecile said. She then looked toward the dormant black knightmare in the opposite corner of the _Avalon_'s hangar. "Speaking of, you already looked at the _Gawain_?"

"Yes, and it's not any better for ware than the _Lancelot_. With respect to young Lelouch, I wish he would take better care of it." Lloyd answered, grimacing. He still remembered the painful effort of refurbishing that particular knightmare after it had been salvaged from the bottom of the Pacific. That had been a trying experience, even for a genius like him.

Cecile eyed the black machine for a few moments, looking at its onyx and gold armor like a critic reviewing an art sculpture. "I think it has more to do with the _Gawain_'s size than His Highness' piloting skills. The 'Spatha Luminous' just isn't enough of a defensive weapon to protect it."

"Well, our options are limited there. A proper defense would be a full 'Blaze Luminous' shield like that of the _Mordred_'s, but to add the generators large enough we would have to remove the hadron cannons, and I doubt our dear Black Prince would appreciate that." Lloyd explained.

"What about reinforcing the armor further?" Cecile asked.

Lloyd shook his head. "To do that would increase the _Gawain_'s weight and make it less mobile, even with the float system."

The female engineer considered another option, but hesitated to speak of it at first. It was a touchy subject, but she felt it warranted mention. "What about Rakshata's old idea? The Absolute Defense Field?"

That immediately halted Lloyd in the midst of his work and caused his face to fold into something that resembled a frown. The last time either of them had seen Rakshata Chawla, fellow engineer and graduate of the Imperial Colchester Institute, was during the Black Rebellion when Lloyd diverted the _Avalon_ in order to save the students and staff of the Ashford Academy boarding school, which the Black Knights had occupied and turned into their headquarters. Since then, Rakshata had become something of a taboo between the two of them, as despite their fond memories of her, neither of them wanted to remember her as a traitor or an enemy.

Needless to say, Cecile didn't have to see Lloyd's reaction to know that she was treading on forbidden territory, although he did oblige her with an answer anyway. "I've experimented with that concept myself, and still have yet to come out with a perfected working model. Even for me, the system is just too complex to work with; only Rakshata seemed be able to understand it."

"Couldn't we adapt it with 'Luminous' tech?" Cecile inquired.

"The problem isn't with the shield itself; it's controlling it. To make effective use of the Field, the pilot must be able to make effective calculations on the shielding strength and positioning to deflect any and all attacks. Even if the unit is equipped with a Druid System, it would be strenuous on the pilot, especially in the middle of battle." Lloyd explained.

"Would that be a problem for someone with a high aptitude like Prince Lelouch?" Cecile pointed out. "Even Prince Schneizel has admitted that he is a genius."

"At best, Lelouch would be able to use the Field to its full potential, turning the _Gawain_ into a floating fortress, but he would have to divert the energy needed to maneuvering in order to manipulate the shields." Lloyd concluded.

Cecile couldn't quite pick it out, but she knew there was something lurking behind Lloyd's answers, something that her instincts told her she did not want to bring out into the open. _Could he actually still be hurt from that?_ Cecile wondered, looking toward the _Lancelot_'s cockpit block with a sympathetic glance.

Thus, she decided to drop the topic entirely. "Perhaps we could follow up on a full body 'Blaze Luminous' anyway, but with more compact generators that won't encroach on the hadrons?"

And like a switch, Lloyd returned to his good natured and eccentric self. "Well, it would be difficult, but not impossible, and it gives me something to do beyond giving touch-ups. Do you have a design in mind?"

"Not yet, but I can put something on paper after we're done here." Cecile replied sweetly.

* * *

Ever since Lelouch was a child, it had been a private tradition between himself and Schneizel to have a Chess match any time they met after a long separation. Although Lelouch had yet to beat his older brother at the game, even in the current day, it was still an enjoyable event for either of them which they both used to catch up, talk about current events, their different philosophical standpoints on how the world worked, and other random subjects, all in privacy from the rest of the universe. The fact their latest match took place on a ship rather than a castle meant nothing to either of them.

As usual between them, Schneizel held the white army while Lelouch held the black army. The game started out well enough, with both sides maneuvering their pawns against each other before turning to their heavier pieces to increase the body count. However, it was when Schneizel started to move his queen around the board that the game started to turn for the worst for Lelouch, as he had not expected Schneizel to move with his most powerful piece so early. To counter, Lelouch had to bring his own queen into the mix as well, managing to take out Schneizel's queen with it but at the same time losing his to one of the elder Prince's knights. That's when Lelouch began to move a little differently than Schneizel would have anticipated.

"You're moving your King too close to the line." Schneizel spoke as he noted that Lelouch had, indeed, moved the black king one step forward toward the frontlines, although there was still a legion of black pawns set up to keep Lelouch out of instant checkmate. At the same time Schneizel moved his white knight once more, ever closer to Lelouch's defense line. "If you are looking to gain some tactical advantage, brother, might I suggest using your knight or bishop?"

"On the contrary, I believe I can gain a perfect tactical position from my king." Lelouch said, moving a rook to take out that aforementioned knight before it caused any damage. "Besides, you know my philosophy Schneizel. If the king does not move, his subjects will not follow."

"That is true." Schneizel observed, moving a pawn to cover one of his rooks. "But you have to remember, in any hierarchy, the king is always the most important component. Should the king fall in battle, the rest of the army will fall into disarray and quickly be overwhelmed."

Lelouch moved a pawn one square ahead, then frowned as he saw what Schneizel was getting at. "You're referring to my leading from the front in battle, aren't you?"

"Yes." Schneizel said, taking that pawn with one of his own. "I believe it is reckless of you to lead like that, especially when you have three Knights of the Round to fight for you. What would happen if you were to fall in battle? How would your troops be able to continue moving?"

Those questions made Lelouch think for a moment as he took Schneizel's pawn with his rook. "It's a risk I'm willing to take brother, and I'm not the only one. There have been many leaders who led their troops from the front over the course of history, all to great success. Alexander the Great, Hannibal, Julius Caesar, Attila the Hun, Genghis Khan, George Washington, even Cornelia…"

"Yes, but with the exception of Caesar, their empires ended and their armies fragmented not long after they died. And as for Cornelia, she very nearly lost her life in the Black Rebellion because of her own recklessness. You would do well to remember these facts brother." Schneizel replied as he took Lelouch's pawn with his bishop by moving it diagonally three spaces. This in turn positioned the Bishop in a firing line toward Lelouch's king. "Check."

_Damn it, that happened too fast._ Lelouch cursed in his mind, having lost focus on the game from his conversation with Schneizel. He immediately moved the king out of harm's way. "I'd like to think if I were to die, another just as qualified as myself would lead in my stead."

"That is the same explanation Cornelia gave me when I brought it to her attention." Schneizel said, moving his bishop back before Lelouch's pawn could take it. "But sometimes a wise commander must assume that there would be no one else to take his place, and that the whole war effort just may dwell upon his own survival."

"Sun Tzu?" Lelouch asked as he moved his rook again.

"Actually, it's just a personal philosophy of mine. One cannot always assume that there is a proper successor should the worst happen." Schneizel admitted, then moving his knight once again. "Checkmate."

Lelouch almost double-taked as he realized too late how Schneizel had cornered him. The original move against the black king with the white bishop was just so Lelouch would maneuver the king out of the line of fire, which would then move it into a position so the king would be trapped between a knight and Schneizel's second bishop. Once again, victory went to Schneizel, and Lelouch knocked his king over in symbolism.

Despite his loss, Lelouch let a smile creep upon his face. "Another game?"

"I don't see why not." Schneizel acknowledged with a smile of his own. They both then began to pick up their individual pieces and reorient them across the chessboard. "There is one thing I am sure of however: if you were to die, no matter the circumstances, I would miss you dearly Lelouch. You're both a good brother and a challenging adversary."

"You make it sound like we're going into battle or something once we reach the mainland." Lelouch said, purposely setting up the black king last. "Still, I don't plan on dying yet. Not when there's so much I have to accomplish."

Just as Schneizel was about to move the first white pawn, the sound of alarm klaxons from the outside decks filled the filled the quarters they were occupying. Both Princes looked at each other for the briefest of moments, then without hesitation bolted up from their seats. Schneizel was quick to reach for the nearest intercom panel, which he linked to the _Avalon_'s bridge. "Schneizel to bridge, report."

"Unidentified bogeys on radar coming in toward our aft at high speed, Your Highness. Definitely knightmare frames." the voice of the _Avalon_'s captain, Colonel Talia Earhart, rang over the speaker.

"The EU?" Lelouch demanded.

"Unknown. We haven't identified their IFF code yet." Talia answered Lelouch's question as well.

A small pause came between them as the two dwelled upon the ramifications of that statement. Then, not wasting any more time, Schneizel continued. "Bridge, we're heading down there now. Arm all weapons and place all knightmares on standby, and have our escorts do the same."

"Yes, Your Highness." Talia acknowledged before closing the comlink.

Without thinking any further, both Princes came out of the quarters and all but ran toward the nearest elevator.

* * *

The bridge of the _Avalon_ was pulsating with activity as the crew went on full Action Stations, ready to face what was perceived as an incoming enemy. In only a matter of seconds, all ship based weapons were armed, the "Blaze Luminous" shield was activated and at full power, and the shipboard knightmare frames were on standby, ready to be launched. All that remained was for this unknown force, which was displayed on the tactical screen at the front of the bridge as a series of red dots that were directly behind the _Avalon_ and her escorts, to close the gap.

It was at that moment that Schneizel and Lelouch made it onto the bridge, with Schneizel immediately taking his place in the command chair at the rear of the bridge and Lelouch standing close by. Suzaku, Gino and Anya were also present, having come earlier to find out what the situation was before they would deploy in their own knightmares to address it. All three of them nodded towards as he came on, who nodded back in turn, facially telling them to 'be ready to launch at any moment'.

"Explain the situation in full." Schneizel ordered toward Talia.

"Your Highness…" Talia began, herself ready in full for the possible advent of battle. "We have detected a large force of knightmare frames on an intercept course toward us. They do not appear to be EU, as they are moving faster than standard European frames and we have not been able to identify their IFF even at this range. At their current speed, they will be on top of us inside four minutes."

"Have you sighted a carrier as well?" Schneizel inquired, still retaining his calm despite the situation.

Talia shook her head. "Negative. There doesn't seem to be any ships mixed in with that group."

"That doesn't mean they're not out there. There is no way those knightmares could make it this far without a mothership." Lelouch explained, thinking.

"Agreed, but right now that group is the most dangerous threat to us." Schneizel concluded himself. "Begin launching our own knightmares to intercept…"

"Wait, belay that order." Lelouch said, stopping Talia before she could follow that command. Although the _Avalon_ wasn't under his direct command, Lelouch was still a Prince; therefore Talia had no choice to follow that.

Schneizel looked at his brother curiously. "You have something in mind Lelouch?"

"Yes I do brother." Lelouch said. "There is a possibility that this force is meant to distract us from another one, perhaps waiting to intercept the _Avalon_ after we've deployed our knightmares to cover our rear. Therefore, I suggest you let my contingent deal with the enemies behind us so that the bulk of force is preserved for a possible surprise attack."

The elder Prince eyed his brother carefully, as if to remind Lelouch of their conversation earlier. "You do realize that you will be outnumbered four to one out there, and that this group could very likely be comprised of skilled fighters."

"With respect Your Highness…" Suzaku stepped up next to Lelouch. "We have fought against worse odds before and still won. But should we be in imminent danger, you could always deploy additional units to support us."

"Hm." Schneizel let out. He almost expected Suzaku to support Lelouch on this; their friendship notwithstanding, the Knight of Seven always preferred to fight in place of regular troops to preserve lives. Now Schneizel had no choice at all. "Very well. But be on your guard; we still do not know enough about this force."

"We will find out more about them soon enough." Lelouch stated just before he and the three Knights of the Round charged back toward the elevator.

* * *

It was nighttime now, although the cloud cover that rolled over the sky kept any stars from shining down. The water below had become choppy, the winds had begun to pick up, and lightning started to stretch across the sky, illuminating the darkness. And of course, where there was lightning there was always thunder following it. Regardless of all that, the _Avalon_ taskforce had been sailing through the apparent storm without any hindrance up to this point. But now there was something in the sky far more dangerous than any thunderbolt, and that was where direct intervention was required.

Putting some power into the float system, Lelouch had the _Gawain_ lurch out of the _Avalon_'s launch deck and into the night sky, with the _Lancelot_, _Tristan_ and _Mordred_ all falling into formation around it once it was up and flying. While visibility was greatly limited, all four pilots could just barely see a force of knightmare frames on the horizon, approaching under the cover of darkness. It was a moot effort however, as the night sky did not hamper any of the Britannian knightmares' sensors and the lightning made the enemy formation as clear as day to behold. Lelouch himself tried to have the _Gawain_'s Druid System analyze the enemy machines for make and model, as well as attempt to identify their mysterious IFF, but nothing was coming up.

"They sure have guts to come out and attack us in the middle of this storm." Gino said, feeling clearly feeling invigorated for battle. "Any specific plan to take these fools down, boss?"

"They're advancing in a pretty tight formation…" Lelouch observed, analyzing the sensor read out on his monitor. He turned toward the _Mordred_. "Anya, set up your stark hadron cannon and target the center of that group. Fire when in range."

"Understood." Anya replied. Although it was faint, one could just hear a strange uneasiness within Knight of Six's voice.

Flipping a few switches, the _Mordred_'s shoulder pods folded up and in front of the frame, revealing the unit's stark hadron cannon, while a pair of targeting scopes flipped over Anya's eyes. The scopes gave Anya a better view of the targets, and she could make out a few details about them every time lightning struck, but otherwise her sensors were still unable to identify the enemy force and Anya herself did not recognize them.

As they drew closer, Suzaku himself brought up the _Lancelot_'s VARIS rifle, ready to take a shot when he entered range. For some reason, he thought he felt something familiar with this enemy force, which he couldn't pinpoint. However, he chose to ignore the feeling; whatever this force was, if they continued toward the _Avalon_, he and his comrades would kill them all long before they could reach her.

"Firing." Anya announced, pulling back the trigger.

With a power that was rarely matched by any other weapon in existence, the _Mordred_'s stark hadron cannon fired a column of black and scarlet energy at the incoming group of knightmares. However, upon the point of contact, the enemy knightmares effortlessly evaded the blast in perfect unison, the energy doing little more than illuminating their outer armors. Following this, they all broke apart from their formation and increased their speed for attack, apparently drawing in for a melee. This was signified when several of them drew a sword of some kind as they charged.

Lelouch let out a 'tsk' behind grit teeth as he saw the advance. "So they're forgoing long-range attacks for a melee. Alright, engage up close and stay focused!"

"Roger!" the three Knights of the Round all replied at once. They too broke from their formation, with the _Tristan_ transforming into its jet mode and letting off a barrage from its heavy machine guns, while the _Lancelot_ fired off a few shots from its VARIS and the _Mordred_ unleashed a swarm of homing beams. Finally, all of them were supplemented by the firing of the _Gawain_'s twin hadron cannons. Unfortunately these shots were no more able to strike the enemy down than the _Mordred's_ first attack, as the mysterious frames easily perceived the angles of each blast and evaded them all with a finesse that was almost too good to be real. However this fight was going to end, it was apparent to all four Britannian pilots that it would be decided by the sword.

* * *

Flying in the midst of the enemy force, the _Tristan_ barrel rolled and transformed back into its knightmare form, simultaneously drawing its poleaxes and forging its twin poleaxe. With his choice weapon drawn, Gino charged at one of the enemy frames and made a downward crescent slash that ended upon impacting with the enemy's sword. Despite the strength behind the _Tristan's_ attack, the enemy frame held its sword in place, keeping the Maser Vibration weapon at bay quite easily.

Gino arched an eyebrow as he saw sparks fly from the contact point between the two blades and a hard vibration shutter across his entire frame. "A chain blade?"

After he making a few more slashes with the poleaxe, Gino had the _Tristan_ pull back and launch its right spike slash harken, which the enemy frame managed to evade from hitting its torso, but ended up losing its left leg instead. That's when Gino felt a sudden explosion from his side, which caused his frame to twist around and see its attacker, who instead of a sword was leveling a bazooka at him.

"Watch out! They've got artillery units mixed in!" Gino hollered over the radio to his comrades in the midst of banking around another shell.

Dodging one bazooka shell after another, Gino had his knightmare charge and shoulder tackle the enemy frame, causing a fair amount of damage to its armor. An accompanying flash of lighting allowed him to make out what he was fighting against more in detail: it was a uniquely jet black colored knightmare frame, with a slender, streamlined build that was unlike anything Gino had seen before. Along with its long, lanky arms and legs, and a four winged version of the float system on its back, the most noticeable traits on the frame were the fin shaped shoulders and the squat shaped head. While otherwise being featureless (though some noticeably had four spike fins jutting out from the sides), the head held in place of a factsphere sensor a single orange cyclopean mono-eye sensor, one that somewhat larger than the European version as well as built right into the head instead of on a track, which in turn be best described as "eerie" and "specter-like" when observed with the rest of the frame. Gino stared long and hard into that eye through the _Tristan_'s own cameras, as if trying to see the pilot that was manipulating the knightmare.

As for weapons, besides the chain swords, these machines were equipped with left arm mounted double barreled hand guns, while a few of them held either a triple rocket launcher on the right arm or the aforementioned bazooka. And those were just the hand weapons; Gino was sure they were also packing slash harkens and perhaps additional weapons.

_Whoever they are, they're definitely not from the EU._ Gino realized with a sinking feeling in his stomach. Then, just catching something from the corner of his eye, Gino banked the _Tristan_ to the side right before the enemy frame launched a chest mounted slash harken at him. In return, Gino settled for performing a drop kick over the enemy frame's head, causing it to fall in altitude somewhat. Gino of course gave chase, but by the time he crossed the gap the enemy frame abandoned its bazooka for its own chain sword, which it used to deflect Gino's oncoming attack.

_And to top it off, they're skilled fighters just as Prince Schneizel said._ Gino thought with a twisted mixture of irritation and ecstasy as he exchanged blows with his opponent.

After a furious series of slashes, stabs and parries, Gino spun his double poleaxe around and performed a power slash that knocked the enemy's sword out of its grasp. But just as he was about to bring the other end of the poleaxe down into what he assumed was the knightmare's cockpit block, an explosive shell suddenly shot down onto the _Tristan_'s back.

"Gah, not again!" Gino let out as his knightmare frame shuttered from the attack. Abandoning what would have been his first kill, he quickly transformed the _Tristan_ back into fortress mode and went into a ramrod straight climb to evade the continuous barrage. Looking back, he saw two additional units closing in on him, but these were different machines from the earlier ones; while they shared a similar design, right down to the four winged float system, they were somewhat broader and more elaborate, while their armor was painted in crimson red and grey instead of jet black. Likewise, instead of holding standard hand manipulators in their right arms, they seemed to be equipped with an elongated right arm that ended in a claw-like assembly, which ended in a three fingered claw assembly. As well, instead of possessing featureless, mono-eyed heads, they each held an intricate, stylized head design that held two ear like fins on the sides, a beak shaped helmet piece and, very much unlike the others, a human-like faceplate that was colored white with orange tinted eyes_._

Gino nearly double-taked as they both fired off a stream of crimson energy from their claws. _Are those hadron cannons!?_

However, he didn't have time to think beyond that line; at the rate they were coming, they would be on top of him in barely a moment, but Gino did not wish to give them an opportunity to get that close. Arching back upon his climb and pulling a vertical version of the Immelmann turn, Gino put the _Tristan_ into a narrow dive that had him coming straight back at his attackers while firing his heavy machine guns once again.

In the midst of his attack, Gino was quite surprised to see the two frames continuing their advance without banking or evading. It surprised him even more, however, when he saw that his bullets were being deflected by some kind of energy shield generated from either machine, which appeared as red ripples appearing and disappearing in the air.

"What the hell are these things!?" Gino let out as he pulled back his control stick to revert the _Tristan_ back into its knightmare mode.

Upon finishing the transformation the two enemy knightmares were already on top of him, and it was nothing short of Gino's sheer skill and reflexes that he was able to draw his poleaxes once again and angle them to deflect their claws and left handed knives. From then on it was one of the fiercest melee fights he had ever faced, as both enemy frames worked in tandem to trade off charging attacks and move against him at all angles, acting more like wolves attacking some large prey rather than human pilots. The energy attacks from the claws didn't help either. Gino knew if he had been anyone else but the Knight of Three, he would have been killed quickly and easily.

_The last bunch was bad enough, but these two are unreal!_ Gino thought as he parried their attacks before striking at them on his own. Between their skills and his, he knew this was going to be a long, drawn out battle. _Just who are we fighting here…?_

* * *

The _Gawain_ launched its left hand slash harkens at its target, but the closest Lelouch got to damaging it was taking out the knightmare's arm mounted hand gun in a fiery explosion. Cursing, he retracted the harkens and engaged the "Spatha Luminous", and then charged at the enemy frame at full speed, making a cross slash like the one he made against Erich Hartmann not long ago. This time however, instead of splitting the enemy frame into fourths, it flew back just as Lelouch executed the slash and sped away rather than engage the _Gawain_ with its own sword.

_Odd..._ Lelouch thought while observing the enemy's retreat. He would have pursued, but something inside stopped him from attacking the fleeing enemy. Besides, there were plenty of other targets out there. Selecting another target, he switched back over to his hadrons and fired off twin beams. The enemy knightmare naturally dodged the blasts, twisting and flipping around like an acrobat away from the beams despite Lelouch's best attempts to angle them onto the frame. When he couldn't hit it with the hadrons, Lelouch once again attempted to draw it close into a swordfight, but when he approached, the enemy knightmare quickly sped away. It didn't even fire back at the pursuing _Gawain_ with its ranged weapons.

Before Lelouch could wonder what was going on, he noticed four those of red machines advancing towards him, this time with their fork knives raised. Switching his weapons over to their scatter setting, he targeted the enemy frames and fired a burst of red energy shots at them. Unfortunately the crimson colored knightmares scattered themselves just as he fired, and then kicked on even more speed to come in for a group attack. As quick as a cat, Lelouch reengaged his own swords and flew backward, setting himself up to fight defensively instead of offensively. The four then began to attack the larger knightmare in a collection of synchronized assaults; one would attack then fly off before Lelouch could fight against it, followed by a comrade who would make another charge against the _Gawain_ then move off before it could counter, leaving room for another one to take its place and so on.

While their attacks were fierce, Lelouch immediately knew that they weren't going all out on him. He knew this because despite their outnumbering him they were only concentrating on attacking him from the front as opposed to trying to encircle him which was standard tactics for any professionally trained force. As well, they were only attacking him with their knifes and not their grenades or their claw weapons, the latter which he saw one use against the _Mordred_; either one may or may not have pierced the _Gawain_'s armor but they still would have been enough to throw Lelouch off for an opening. And to top it all off, they weren't even aiming to do damage to the _Gawain_ itself with their charge attacks, instead keeping their aim toward the "Spatha Luminous" blades.

_They're pushing me back, trying to distance me from the others._ Lelouch concluded, seeing it as the only explanation. However, what he couldn't figure out was why they were doing it. If they were out to kill him, why would they go to this amount of trouble to isolate him first?

Getting fed up with situation, he made a few more counter slashes, then just after he finished the last one, Lelouch launched both sets of finger slash harkens. Using the miniature harken boosters that were mounted in each digit, he maneuvered each harken to all four knightmares, entangling them around the heads of each rather than impaling them. Then putting more power into the float system, he sped downward dragging his captives with him, before cutting off the speed at once. While the _Gawain_ lost its momentum, the entangled knightmares hadn't lost theirs, allowing Lelouch to bring them down and slam them into each other.

While by some miracle of technology the enemy knightmares weren't crushed upon impact with one another, much less their Yggdrasil drives detonating from the shock, their outer shells were seriously damaged, dented and cracked in many areas, and their pilots were equally dazed. Which was just how Lelouch wanted it. Immediately retracting his harkens and reactivating the hadrons, he set out to finish them off once and for all.

He was only stopped by the shrill beeping sound of his sensors signaling that another enemy had locked onto him. Lelouch had no time to think, only to allow his instincts to take over and get the _Gawain_ to ascend. What happened next nearly made the blood freeze in his veins.

Just as the _Gawain_ ascended up into the air, a new bright red stream of energy shot out to where it would have been. _Another one!?  
_

As the stream dissipated, Lelouch turned back to see just where it had come from. His other four opponents used the opportunity to retreat, but Lelouch was no longer concerned with them. Rather, he was concerned with the newcomer frame that was flying toward him at a speed that made its compatriots look slow and lackluster. Lelouch reacted quickly by firing another twin stream of hadron energy, but the newcomer twisted out of the way and then fired back with its own energy weapon, forcing Lelouch to dodge himself.

As the two frames past each other, yet another sudden lightning burst illuminated the sky, and what Lelouch saw was absolutely nothing like what he had been expecting. The knightmare in front of him was like the other models, yet felt like an entirely different beast altogether; while it retained the crimson colors of its sibling units, this one was different in that it held orange highlights instead of grey, causing it to hold a sheer vividness was like a mixture of blood, fire and the rising sun. This alone made it stand entirely out from its comrades, but there were other details to match. Its body vaguely resembled the other knightmares', yet held an even broader design, almost doing away with the flimsiness that the production units had to them. Other details Lelouch could see in the brief light included a similar elongated right arm as the other red models, but this one ending in a five fingered claw assembly that more resembled a human hand. As well, it had the same stylized head design as its compatriots, but instead of orange eyes, the eye cameras were noticeably colored in sapphire, which shone with malice in the light.

"This knightmare..." Lelouch wondered out loud, his jaw now slightly slacked open from his sub-conscious awe. _Why does it feel familiar to me?_

Just as the flash ended, the red knightmare angled its claw at the _Gawain_ and again fired an energy blast. That was enough to snap Lelouch back to reality, as he quickly fired the _Gawain_'s left hadron cannon to cancel out the blast, and then charge once the resulting explosion had passed, both "Spathas" activated. The red knightmare in turn drew a golden bladed fork knife and parried the initial attack, then flew backward from the second.

After Lelouch's second slash, his opponent performed a midair leap and smashed the knightmare's left leg against the _Gawain_'s faceplate. This in turn was followed by a roundhouse kick with the right leg that almost threw Lelouch out of his seat. _This one is_ really_ good_.

Upon an attempted third kick, Lelouch had the _Gawain_ reach up with its right hand and grab his opponent's leg, to which he twisted around and threw across the air. He shot after it with both blades at the sides, while the opposite frame reoriented itself quickly and blocked Lelouch's follow up attack with both its fork knife and claw arm. However, it could not hold the blades for long as the _Gawain_ was easily the more powerful of the two, and so it threw the "Spathas" off and made a combination of attacks by either slashing with the fork knife or trying to grapple the _Gawain_ with its claw.

Lelouch, in spite of the fact he was in the middle of combat, couldn't help but be impressed beyond words with the fight his opponent was putting up. The enemy frame had even taken to dodging his own attacks entirely rather than attempt to deflect them again, and it was dodging with a fluidity that Lelouch had only seen in very few other knightmare aces. And aside from one, those particular aces were all Knights of the Round.

Needless to say, as the fighting grew more and more intense, the Black Prince of Britannia became less and less sure that he would be the one to emerge victorious.

* * *

With his enemy almost beaten to a pulp, Suzaku performed a "Blaze Luminous" reinforced spin kick to finish off the wounded knightmare. The kick was well placed as it struck the machine's Yggdrasil drive directly, causing it to grow critical and detonate, resulting in the black mono-eyed knightmare exploding like an overripe melon hit with a sledge hammer. Suzaku watched as the explosion's glare brightened then diminished to symbolize the passing of the machine and its pilot. _Finally making headway…_

As if infuriated by the death of their comrade, two more black units, these two both toting bazookas, flew at the _Lancelot_ and began to rain shells at the white knightmare. Suzaku was quick to activate his right arm "Blaze Luminous" to deflect the initial shots, and then move at flanking speed to dodge the follow up shots, all the while drawing closer to the enemy machines. He would have returned fire himself, but his VARIS had been destroyed earlier, and so he was relegated to using the MVSs as his primary weapons. Thus, when close enough, he quickly slashed at the enemy's bazookas, dividing them into useless metal shards, and then attack the knightmares themselves. Rather than face the White Knight of Britannia in a sword fight, the two enemy machines flew back, firing off their hand guns as they did to keep Suzaku from pursuing them.

Despite their valiant attempt, Suzaku would have easily shrugged the autocannon fire and launched after them to finish them off. What stopped him was what he saw to his right, and when he noticed it, the Knight of Seven could feel the color drain from his skin. He even magnified the image to make sure his eyes weren't fooling him. There, several meters away from his position, he saw the _Gawain_ fighting a _very_ familiar machine, one that he once believed had been destroyed a long time ago, and its pilot being long since dead. And despite the effort Lelouch was putting forward into the fight, the enemy knightmare was easily keeping him at bay.

"Is that…!" Suzaku exclaimed out loud, feeling his world clarify and then crystallize. And with that revelation, he realized why this enemy force had seemed all too familiar to him, causing him to glare at the personalized red knightmare. Suzaku cursed himself for naively believing that the ghosts of his past had well and truly passed to the next life.

Looking around for a second, he saw that both the _Tristan_ and _Mordred_ were still fighting against established teams of black knightmares, as well as additional red ones that held a similar design to the one Lelouch was fighting, thus keeping them too far back to aid against the Black Prince's opponent. Suzaku might not have been as much of a strategist as his friend, but even he could tell the enemy was specifically isolating Lelouch away from the rest of them. That could only mean two things: they were out to destroy Lelouch specifically, or…

Suzaku's eyes widened in horror as he saw what the enemy was really planning to do. Putting power in the float system, he launched the _Lancelot Conquista_ forward to intercept the enemy frame before it could do any serious damage to the _Gawain_. He still had a large distance to cross however, and without his VARIS he was unable to use his hadron launcher either, which meant he could only engage the enemy knightmare at close-range. Despite not being particularly religious, the Knight of Seven prayed to whoever was listening that he would be able to make it in time before the worst was to happen.

He did not get very far despite that. Practically coming out of nowhere, another knightmare frame intercepted his flight path and clashed its own sword against his. Immediately Suzaku could tell that, like the unit Lelouch was fighting, this one was above the rest; while the knightmare held the same black colors as the others, it was notably distinguished by its more ornate head crest, twin bundles of hair like extensions that stretched out from the head, more "pronounced" shoulder and hip armor, and a different type of sword, which among other things had a much longer golden blade equipped with a line of rocket thrusters on its reverse side, from the ones the others used. That, and just by looking into the knightmare's mono-eye sensor, Suzaku felt a true warrior's aura emanating from the metallic shell.

"You're trying to capture Lelouch and reawaken Zero, aren't you!?" Suzaku growled as he tried to overpower the enemy unit's sword, but the knightmare was more than able to hold him back. He flew back to attempt to flank the unit, but it reversed its sword and launched a hilt mounted slash harken at the _Lancelot_. Suzaku was just able to deflect the harken with his "Blaze Luminous", but the enemy unit used the opportunity to close the gap between them and execute a series of thruster assisted slashes that kept Suzaku on the edge.

And just like the red and orange knightmare in the distance, Suzaku was quick to recognize the fighting style this machine was utilizing against him. "So you have survived as well, _Sensei_…" he murmured under his breath.

The enemy knightmare didn't respond verbally, it only continued to attack him. Suzaku himself countered by firing off his right arm slash harken, but the enemy frame deflected the attack by generating a red energy shield. Suzaku gritted his teeth as he withdrew the harken and pressed the attack with his swords, trying as hard as he could to get past this apparent adversary.

* * *

Lelouch's hair nearly fell into his eyes, sticking to his forehead with sweat. This was all too unreal, and impossible to be true, even as he blasted away at the red knightmare with a scatter shot from his hadron cannons. No matter what he threw at his enemy, it would evade every attack it was in slow motion then continue to attack on its own. Lelouch had yet to even damage the frame cosmetically, whereas the _Gawain_ was still functional and largely undamaged itself, but its armor had been beaten and battered numerous times by the enemy machine. Somehow he had to finish this before he was completely overwhelmed, but even with Lelouch's vast intelligence and skill there was only so much he could do against this adversary. And as if to make matters worse, it didn't look like the red knightmare was about to slow down anytime soon.

Still as fierce as ever, the red knightmare remained on the offensive by lobbing a pair of shots from its left arm cannon at the _Gawain_. Lelouch deflected both with the "Spatha Luminous" and counted again by firing his hadron cannons it short bursts, but the red knightmare dodged each shot with a series of aerial twists and turns. It as well fired an energy blast from its claw to also keep Lelouch on his toes, which Lelouch managed to do with ease but still took a lot of energy. If he had he been trying to concentrate on his emotions at that moment, he could not have differentiated between frustration and invigoration at this airborne standoff he found himself playing a role in. _I haven't fought this hard since I trained under Bismarck…_

Then the two frames crossed birth between them and grappled together, with the red frame's claw arm latched over the "Spatha Luminous" projector and the left hand grasped against the _Gawain_'s right. However, just as Lelouch thought he had the advantage, as the red frame had no room to maneuver when it was so close, he suddenly felt a surge of energy travel through the _Gawain_. Looking over, Lelouch saw the black armor of his knightmare's left arm suddenly begin to whiten and bubble as the surge traveled through the palm of the claw and into the arm, growing in width as more energy was shot through.

_It can use that at close range as well!?_ Lelouch mind exclaimed in astonishment. And for yet another unknown reason, he felt as though he should have been expected that particular ability.

He immediately fired a short burst from the hadrons again to force the red frame to detach its claw and fly back. Now the _Gawain_'s left arm was effectively out of the fight, as Lelouch read it from the diagnostics, taking with it the mounted "Spatha Luminous" and the slash harkens of the left hand.

"I have to end this now." Lelouch told himself, getting ready for another charging attack. This time he would use the _Gawain_'s larger size to his advantage and overpower the red knightmare directly. Thus, he put the frame into full speed and shot after his target like a cannonball.

So it surprised him that the red knightmare did not raise its claw and fork knife to defend or move to evade. Instead, when a certain distance was reached between them, it raised its claw arm once again, and a set of prongs extended from its base. Before Lelouch could wonder what they were for, it suddenly launched a spray energy attack of some kind; a dispersion of that crimson red energy over a wide area as opposed to having it focused as a beam.

Upon that attack, Lelouch felt the _Gawain_ stop in midair. _No not now! _Lelouch thought in shock, trying as hard as he could to get his knightmare to move again. Checking his diagnostic board once again, he summarized that the last attack had frozen the electronic motors that served as the _Gawain_'s power distribution system, much like how a human nervous system operated. As such, while the _Gawain_ still had power, it could not move its limbs or out of its current position, much less continue to fight.

With its opponent disabled, Lelouch half-expected the enemy frame to finish him off where he hovered. Instead of that though, the red frame lowered its claw and began to move closer toward the _Gawain_'s position, and that's when it clarified to Lelouch what was truly happening.

"You… you mean to capture me!?" he called out to his foe, as if he were expecting an answer. The red frame continued to fly at him however, and Lelouch's mind raced to come up with a way out of this situation. He knew that he had flown to far away for his allies to come and support him, and no amount of hotwiring would bring the _Gawain_ back to moving after an attack like that. Thus, the only solution he could come up with was to put the _Gawain_'s self-destruct sequence online, just long enough so when the red frame got close the explosion would take it down as well, while he ejected at the very last second. It was a long shot, but that was his only option.

But when he switched _Gawain_'s controls over to the keyboard system, Lelouch's hands froze in place before he could type any commands out. He looked back at the closing red frame with wonder, as he tried to figure out why he suddenly didn't wish to avoid being captured.

_She's… she's not an enemy…_ something in the back of his mind told him, although Lelouch could not figure out how he knew that or how he knew the enemy pilot was a woman for that matter. And then like a thunderbolt, he felt a great flow enter his mind, to the point where he struggled to contain it. Clasping his hands over his forehead while feeling his heart and mind race at breaking speed, Lelouch let out a silent scream as his mind became flooded with thoughts. Thoughts that centered on images of the mysterious red knightmare fighting against Britannian forces on numerous battlefields, and its beautiful, red haired pilot that seemed to look up toward him with a mixture of determination, devotion and admiration. And it all came down to an image Lelouch could not shake out of his head of her standing in the midst of a cave, pointing a gun at…

And in the midst of his anguish, Lelouch felt his left eye burn.

As Lelouch struggled with himself, the enemy frame reached its arms out to grab hold of the _Gawain_. But before the two frames could touch, it suddenly halted in its flight path, turned back to look a direction for a moment, and then backed out of the way as a familiar stream of crimson and black energy shot between the _Gawain_ and its attempted captor.

"I will not let you take Lelouch…" Anya stated as she he had the _Mordred_ close in.

"Anya!" Lelouch exclaimed as the specialized long-range fire support knightmare frame switched from its stark hadron cannon over to its homing beam launchers and fired a swarm of them at the red frame. The enemy knightmare dodged these easily and looked as though it were about to fight the _Mordred_ itself.

But then it stopped before it could advance and looked over. There were new IFF signals incoming, which Lelouch knew to be reinforcements from the _Avalon_ and her escorts. Sure enough, one could spot a battle group of _Sutherlands_ flying out to meet them.

Outnumbered and low on energy, Lelouch saw the red frame turn to send a signal to its comrades and then turn to fly away to the direction it originally came. It was soon followed by the rest of its kind, most of which were sporting massive amounts of battle damage even though they could still fly. And as they flew off to the horizon, the incoming _Sutherlands_ began to reach the _Gawain_.

"Your Highness, are you alright?" the lead _Sutherland_ asked hurriedly. Without the need to be ordered to, three _Sutherlands_ dropped down and formed a triangular guard around the disabled _Gawain_.

Lelouch nodded to the man in acknowledgment. "I am unharmed. That last attack just damaged the _Gawain_'s motor controls."

"Acknowledged. Should I send units to pursue as well?" the commander continued.

"Negative. They're likely heading back to their carrier, which will be waiting to meet any incoming attack force. Return to the _Avalon_ and provide escort until we reach the mainland." Lelouch ordered.

The _Sutherland_ commander knew better than to question those orders. "As you wish Your Highness. I will leave those three behind to tow you back to the _Avalon_, if you would allow it."

"I would appreciate that Captain." Lelouch said with a flat smile of gratitude.

With their new orders, the _Sutherlands_ turned and flew back from where they came as well, and as if on perfect timing, the _Tristan_, _Lancelot_ and still nearby _Mordred_ flew up to the _Gawain_ just as the _Sutherlands_ launched their slash harkens and grappled them around the larger frame to begin towing it back.

"Wow Lelouch, you look messed up." Gino exclaimed with a whistle. One could tell that he was exhausted as well. "Who the hell were you fighting? The Red Baron?"

"Are you alright Lelouch?" Suzaku interrupted, his voice filled to the brim with concern.

"I'm fine, except for my pride." Lelouch sighed while putting his arms back behind his head to relax himself. "And Anya, while I appreciate and thank you for your aiding me, could you not use the stark hadron next time? A meter more to the right and you would have vaporized me."

"But it worked." Anya simply answered.

Lelouch didn't answer that, instead breaking off communications to be alone for the next few moments. Unconsciously, he felt his face turn into a frown as he suddenly felt as though that he wished to have been captured. No, _liberated_. He struggled to figure out why he felt that way, as well as what he had seen earlier in that thought attack, but his mind could only draw blanks.

Meanwhile, in the _Lancelot_'s cockpit, Suzaku turned and looked back toward the horizon. He knew in his heart that this was far from over.

* * *

TO BE CONTINUED…


	4. Chapter 04: Calm Before the Storm

"_If we could read the secret history of our enemies, we should find in each man's life sorrow and suffering enough to disarm all hostility."_  
- Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

**Chapter 04: Calm Before the Storm**

**Black Knights air battleship **_**Ikaruga**_**  
Atlantic Ocean  
March 22, 2025 a.t.b.**

With the ease and grace of a kestrel gliding along the wind, Major Kallen Kouzuki brought her _Guren Nishiki_ toward the waiting receiving bay of the air battleship _Ikaruga_. While it had not been damaged from the battle, Kallen could tell that just like her, her loyal red steed was spiritually exhausted and was quite willing to return to its domain to rest for the next coming battle. She knew this because it had been her machine for the past eight years, and she could tell what condition it was in just by the feel of it moving across the ground or flying through the sky and the sounds its insides made to her touch. Besides Kallen, the only other human that had such a connection to the red knightmare was none other than the machine's creator herself.

By now the rest of Kallen's 0 Knightmare Squadron "Rei", better known as the elite Zero Squadron or by its callsign "Rei" (which in turn was Japanese for "Zero"), and the other squadrons had returned to the _Ikaruga_'s hold, leaving Kallen's _Guren_ and General Kyoshiro Tohdoh's _Zangetsu_ as the only remaining units that were still airborne. But now that they had made sure their respective subordinates had landed safely, both Kallen and Tohdoh themselves were free to land without any worry. Upon touchdown, she switched from her air glide wing system over to her landspinners and slowly guided the _Guren_ to a nearby elevator which would take it to the hangar deck. As the elevator went downward, Kallen reached up and swept a gloved hand across her forehead to take some of the sweat off, unconsciously brushing back her mane of red hair, which she had allowed to grow far past its original short length from eight years ago. She couldn't help but laugh a little as she did. _He made me sweat after all…_

When the elevator finally reached the hangar, Kallen let her eyes scan over the tremendous strength of the Black Knights' fighting force as she guided her machine down the middle of the hangar, then to its rightful place where she had it set down, just before she went through the power down sequence. Divided into rows at the left and right, the hangar deck was lined _Akatsuki_ and _Akatsuki Jikisanshiyo_ knightmare frames, all of which were sitting on their knees in traditional Japanese form, cockpit hatches open and waiting to be called upon to fight. Their black colors, which had become the standard color scheme for the Black Knights in memory of the Black Rebellion as well as for their namesake, ironically seemed to shine in the light cast upon them, as if referencing how their name stood for "dawn" in the Japanese language. Aside from those, there were also the eleven _Guren Isshiki _units of Zero Squadron, nearly indistinguishable from her _Nishiki_ though being somewhat less powerful. They were even painted in the same shade of crimson as her machine, both to symbolize their status as the elite of their organization and their association to her, their commander and the once famous Ace of the Elevens.

Overall, the Black Knights was now a military fighting force that was unlike any other in the world. Not bad for an organization that used to only have eight people and one knightmare frame; what was bad, however, was that the person responsible for their creation and growth was not with them. As it should have been.

"Major!" Kallen heard a youthful voice come from behind her, which could not possibly have belonged to any male past seventeen years of age, as she lowered herself down to the ground from the her machine's cockpit.

Closing her eyes to hold back from taking out her anger on the poor soul who owned that voice, the _Nishiki _pilot let her feet touch the ground before turning to the boyish face of Second Lieutenant Rikichi Shirogane, the youngest member of Zero Squadron. So young in fact, that he was also the only one of Kallen's pilots who had not fought in the Black Rebellion. "What is it Rikichi?"

"I just wanted to tell you Major, you were _awesome_ out there!" Rikichi stated, the hero worship gushing out of his voice like molten lava from a volcano. "If the _Mordred_ had not gotten so close you would have definitely had the Black Prince's ass in a sling!"

"Thank you for sharing that fact with me Lieutenant. It almost makes me feel better on the inside for failing to accomplish our mission." Kallen replied sharply, fixing her eyes into her younger subordinate's.

Unfortunately, Rikichi Shirogane was of the "young and stupid" variety of idiot, whose only saving grace was being a prodigy when it came to combat and knightmare frame piloting, which was why he was in Zero Squadron in the first place. Thus, he failed to pick up on the hint that Kallen had no wish to put up with his rabid fanboyism or his not-so-secret crush on her; the last thing she wanted was a relationship with a hyperactive novice that had the intelligence and common sense of a roll of toilet paper. "But ma'am, you took on a Britannian prince of all people and came out on top! There are more than enough people out there who would give anything to be in your position…"

"Lieutenant, Major Kouzuki has been fighting and killing Britannians back when you couldn't even spell 'puberty', so don't waste your breath trying to win her heart." another voice intervened on Kallen's behalf. Running his hand back through his dark blue hair as he walked, Colonel Kotetsu Urabe, Four Holy Sword member and 3rd Knightmare Squadron "Tenrai" commander, stamped his feet right next to Kallen and faced the boy down. "Instead, why don't you make yourself useful and help the mechanics fix up your _Guren_? It took a pretty good beating from the _Tristan_."

"Ah come on, Colonel Urabe. The mechanics can fix it _without_ my help!" Rikichi complained. "I pilot it, they fix it, end of story!"

"On the contrary, that machine is more your responsibility than the repair crew's. Besides, the Major has a meeting to attend in the next ten minutes and does not need you to hold her up." Urabe pointed out.

Kallen nodded to confirm that. "Just get it over with Rikichi. The faster you get it done, the faster you can brag to your friends about how you took on a Knight of the Round and survived."

That thought effectively brightened Rikichi's spirit back to normal. Throwing a smile and a salute toward Kallen's direction, the latter which she returned out of protocol's sake, he turned on his heel and marched back to where his _Isshiki_ was sitting. As soon as he was a great distance away, Kallen allowed a sigh to escape her lips. "Urabe, have I ever told you how appreciative I am to have you as a friend?"

Urabe smiled at that. "Once upon a full moon. But really, you shouldn't be too hard on yourself Kouzuki. Tonight wasn't a total failure."

"How so?" Kallen asked.

"Well for one thing, this was the first combat engagement the Black Knights had in over eight years, and it was against four high class Britannian pilots and their seventh generation knightmares. The fact we managed to do damage and return in relative piece will be a serious morale booster to the rest of our little army." Urabe explained.

"And what do we tell the families of those who didn't make it back?" Kallen inquired.

Urabe looked at her with understanding. "That they fought and died as Black Knights for their comrades and for the dream of a reborn Japan. Nothing more. Now, unless you want us to attend the meeting in our pilot suits, I suggest we go get changed now."

"Agreed." Kallen said, deciding to leave it at that for now. She then returned to her path toward the female changing room while Urabe went toward the men's side.

* * *

**Britannian air cruiser **_**Avalon  
**_**Atlantic Ocean  
March 22, 2025 a.t.b.**

With a hiss and pop, the _Gawain_'s cockpit hatch opened, and Lelouch felt as the exhaustion from the heat of combat finally caught up to him. Quickly he began unbuckling himself from the apparatus, feeling the hands of others on his shoulders and arms to help pull him up and out of his knightmare. Usually Lelouch would have insisted on letting himself out, but this time he did not protest. That battle had taken everything he had, and therefore he did not mind the aid. And to top it off, Lelouch's mind was still racing to figure out what was so familiar about that red knightmare, as well as why he had not put up any resistance when it moved in to claim him.

As he was bodily lifted from the confines of the _Gawain_'s cockpit and back into the _Avalon_'s cavernous hangar, the first thing Lelouch took notice of was Schneizel standing there waiting for him beside his aide-de-camp Kanon Maldini, 9th Earl of Montreal. This caused Lelouch to feel both relieved and uneasy on the inside, especially when he thought back to their earlier chess game.

Looking around, he saw that Suzaku, Gino and Anya were still getting out of their knightmares, thus leaving Lelouch without any additional support, at least for the moment. So while managing to clear his throat without it being conspicuous, he made his way to where his brother was standing. "I suppose you're here to say 'I told you so', brother?"

Schneizel snickered as if Lelouch had said something amusing. "No Lelouch, I will not say it. Regardless of our previous conversation I'm just glad that you are unharmed, especially against such a monster as that red knightmare."

Once again, Lelouch had no reason to doubt Schneizel's words, as he had never shown Lelouch anything but love and care since he had been a child. That being said, it still hurt to admit, even on the inside, that Schneizel might have been right about the recklessness on Lelouch's part. That's when Lelouch brought up the second matter that concerned him. "They weren't aiming for the _Avalon_. They were aiming to capture me."

Schneizel's face degenerated into one of pure concern at that revelation, which was quite a feat in itself considering the Second Prince wasn't a man that held his emotions outwardly. Even Kanon looked shocked to see the expression Schneizel was giving, but he did not say anything. "Were you able to identify the group with the Druid System?"

Lelouch shook his head. "They weren't EU if that's what you are implying. Their fighting style was entirely different from what we fought so far, and so we were totally unprepared against them. Likewise, they were far too well equipped to be mere terrorists."

"Could they have been part of the Chinese Liberation Army then?" Kanon finally spoke up. "Kidnapping a Prince would give them some leverage in their fight against Britannia."

The Black Prince actually laughed a little at that. "The CLA only field _Gun Rus_ for their knightmare forces, which are far less advanced than what we encountered tonight. That and a competent General like Li Xingke would never attempt to launch such an operation so far from his territory. No, this enemy is an entirely different force from what we've fought against so far."

"Curious." Schneizel muttered out loud, looking as though he were contemplating something.

Lelouch looked at him with an arched eyebrow, knowing his brother well enough that something dwelled under the surface. "You know something I don't brother?"

However, if Schneizel did indeed know something that the Black Prince didn't, he wasn't showing it. "…It's nothing Lelouch."

A seemingly uncomfortable silence followed, just as the feminine yet clearly professional voice of Colonel Talia Earhart echoed through the _Avalon_'s intercom system. "This is the bridge. We have now entered into our homeland's territorial waters. All decks are to remain on battle stations until ordered otherwise."

Lelouch let out a breath of air as he let himself relax a little more, knowing that they were at long last in a relative safe zone now. Even if the enemy carrier did have a stealth system, there was no way that force would launch a follow up attack now. Otherwise they would risk gaining the attention of the Britannian Atlantic forces, both naval and airborne. "I suppose that takes care of the problem for the time being."

"Agreed, but should they attack again, I would expect you to remain onboard and let your subordinates handle the defense effort, Lelouch." Schneizel stated.

Seeing no other alternative, Lelouch reluctantly agreed. "Yes, I know Schneizel. But I really hate the feeling of hiding away like this."

Schneizel chuckled a little bit. "Even accomplished generals like Theodore Roosevelt had to remain behind the frontlines at times when his safety was in grave question. You are not a coward for doing that yourself."

"I'll take your word for it brother." Lelouch replied, then made his way past his brother and Earl Maldini. Even as his back turned to them, he knew Schneizel was looking at him with a slight frown of concern, but for the moment there were other things on his mind.

Namely the image of a beautiful, red haired woman. Although her face was faint, Lelouch could see two distinct caricatures of her, one being dressed in a school uniform with her short hair combed down and her face showing a meek looking expression, and the other where she was dressed in a black military uniform of some sort with her hair kept in a wave pattern, this time her face showing nothing but determination.

And no matter what Lelouch tried to do, he could not shake the image of her, or how she seemed to look back at him with nothing but admiration and loyalty. It all felt as though she had been one of his soldiers at some point in time, but that was impossible.

_Just who is she? _Lelouch thought as he entered the elevator, clenching his teeth and trying recall more, but not being able to. It was almost as if there was an invisible wall in his mind that kept him closed off from the information he sought. At the very least however, he knew the woman in question had some sort of connection to that red knightmare, perhaps even being the pilot. It would not be long before Lelouch would be able to find out more about her and the rest of her force.

And most importantly, the nature of their apparent connection to him.

* * *

In ancient times, a young prince by the name of Siddhartha Gautama once imparted a piece of wisdom to his followers: "Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, only concentrate your mind onto the present moment." For Suzaku Kururugi, however, the only thing his mind could do now was dwell in the past. It was after all where all of his ghosts laid to rest, or so he had foolishly thought.

After he had landed the _Lancelot_ back on the _Avalon_, Suzaku had not bothered to talk to anyone, not even Lelouch. Instead, he passed off the maintenance of the _Lancelot_ to the hangar mechanics and furiously made his way out of the hangar, ignoring any questions that were directed toward him in the process. He had finally managed to throw himself into a nearby elevator, which took him to the deck that his quarters were on, and from there it was a simple but fast paced walk before Suzaku found the shelter he so desired.

Now in the silence and safety of the small but cozy room, which he had used as a retreat from war and life ever since the day he first set foot on the _Avalon_, Suzaku moved over to a nearby cabinet. After entering the keycode to the electronic lock, the door clicked and slid open to reveal the insides, which consisted of a miniature refrigerator. Taking a breath, he reached in and pulled out one of the remaining gifts Genbu Kururugi had left him upon his untimely demise: his private collection of _sake_. Although very few people knew about it, the Knight of Seven remembered his father well enough to know that he fancied himself as a _sake_ connoisseur, literally having a vintage for every season and social event from any part of Japan. Suzaku had been well below the drinking age at the time, but Genbu had always wished for him to take up his legacy when he got older, and so had stashed away a few of his favorite brands for his son to enjoy later in life as well as carefully preserving them for the occasion.

The brand that Suzaku had just pulled out was dubbed _Shiro_, and it had been brewed in Kyoto in 2010 a.t.b. As such, it had something of a sweet flavor to it, which the Knight of Seven mentally prepared himself for. After producing an antique _ochoko_ from another cabinet, Suzaku opened the bottle and filled the cup with the clear liquid.

And at long last, Suzaku brought the cup to his lips and drank the liquid in one swig. He immediately grimaced at the taste; despite his late father's wishes, Suzaku was not a social drinker, and only took in any form of alcohol when he felt he would truly need its aftereffects.

_Of all the people that died that day…_ Suzaku's mind began to call out, its mantra gaining power with each passing word. _Of the entire Japanese race… Of all of the innocents that had their lives taken in that flash of fire and smoke… Why were _they_ the only ones spared!?_

Feeling as though he wanted to curse God, Fate and the universe itself, Suzaku instead slumped in his chair, his strength entirely spent from the fighting. Although he felt no tears, a familiar mixture of wrath, despair and sorrow entered him, a combination that he never wanted to feel again. He had only felt those three altogether twice before: the first after the death of Third Princess Euphemia li Britannia on the day that should have brought Japan's salvation, and the second after the death of his entire people no more than a few hours after that.

Although urban legend within the Imperial Court stated that the noble Sir Suzaku Kururugi, Knight of Seven and White Knight of Britannia, never shed a tear for the simultaneous deaths of the Elevens on that fateful day, the truth was quite the opposite. Suzaku had spent a total of three days in mourning, either locked in this very same room aboard the _Avalon_ or in a manor prepared for him at Pendragon, with nothing but the cold comfort of alcohol and the memories of better days to keep him from losing his mind and willpower. Although wakes were more of a Western based custom than Japanese, Suzaku had willingly adapted the tradition for himself, as with the combined deaths of Euphemia and Japan, he had lost everything he held dear enough to fight for.

Yes, he had been labeled a traitor to his people, but very few knew his original reasoning of joining Britiannia: the liberation of his race by working through the system. Whereas many had found him comparable to Ephialtes of Trachis, Gaius Cassius Longinus, Marcus Junius Brutus, Judas Iscariot, Benjamin Franklin and many other infamous traitors who sold their lands, leaders, and people out to aggressors in exchange for power, wealth, and purpose, it was for sake of the Japanese that Suzaku had continued to fight on under a different flag. After all, he was no different from them; he too had suffered from the discrimination, the abuse, and the elitism of Britannian society. He as well had been bound in the same bondage, whose chains had been forged from race instead of iron, forced into servitude for a foreign power on his own homeland's soil. And he did all with a willing heart, which in turn isolated him from his own people, hoping and dreaming for the day where he could have gained enough power to change the rules and free the enslaved from their chains.

Thus, how could a man not grieve when the dream he strove for was snatched away from him, never to be fulfilled?

But as the universe had it, it was the ones who had caused Black Rebellion at the beginning who had survived the devastation, the ones who above all else had deserved death. The very same people that claimed to have been fighting for the will of the Japanese, but were only creating chaos and destruction in their wake, that had claimed more lives than they had saved. And to make matters worse, they apparently knew the identity of their leader now, the mysterious revolutionary whose name still lived in infamy even to this day. There was no other reasoning behind staging such a daring assault around the capture of Lelouch, especially when a far more valuable target would have been Prince Schneizel. Needless to say, this complicated things even further.

Pouring more _sake_ into the cup and taking a slower, more drawn sip of the liquid, Suzaku looked up into the air. "Euphie… what would you have me do…?"

A knock at the door interrupted his thoughts. "Suzaku, are you alright?" the voice of Cecile Croomy asked from the other end.

Sighing, Suzaku considered telling her to leave him alone, but for a reason that was unknown to him, he decided to oblige her. "It's open if you want to come in."

The door came open and Cecile entered. She immediately took in the hearty sent of alcohol that lingered in the air, but decided to ignore it for the moment. Instead, she moved to the table where Suzaku was sitting and put down a tray of cookies that she had been carrying. "Sorry to disturb you, but I just baked these. Could you please try one?"

Suzaku had to hold back the fear that instantaneously grew in his heart as his eyes wandered across the tray. Although the cookies were innocent looking enough, he and many others aboard the _Avalon_ had encountered Cecile's cooking before, and Suzaku at one point even considered the food she created far more dangerous to human life than the _Lancelot_'s entire arsenal. He could almost see an image of the _shinigami_ hovering over the tray, as if waiting for him to take a bite.

Unfortunately, even as a Knight of the Round, Suzaku still didn't have the heart to say 'no' to Cecile's request, much less inform her of her poor culinary skills. Thus, he reached out, took a cookie and fully knowing he would regret it later, took a bite. As he chewed, he couldn't help but feel like he tasted a mixture of sand, glass, and metal.

"This is pretty tasty Cecile." Suzaku said between chews, literally lying through his teeth. "What kind of cookies are these?"

"It's a new recipe I came up with. I call it the Vita-Cookie." Cecile explained happily. "Each one is laced with every essential vitamin known, as well as a fair amount of Iron and Calcium for good measure. It's the healthiest cookie ever made."

"Did you remember to add any sugar?" Suzaku asked, again knowing he'd regret it.

"Sugar?" Cecile looked up in the air with clear confusion. "I knew I forgot something. But then it's probably better without it."

Skillfully keeping himself from gagging, Suzaku managed to swallow the cookie chunks in a manner that made it look like he actually enjoyed it. It was a skill he had mastered a long time ago in regards to anything Cecile created from an oven. _At least I won't have to worry about contracting night-blindness._ "Is that all you came here for?"

"Well… Not exactly." Cecile said, hesitating. "You were really quick to get out of the _Lancelot_ after that battle, and now I see you're drinking." She gestured toward the bottle of _sake_. "Did something happen out there Suzaku?"

"No, it has nothing to do with the battle just now." Suzaku lied again. For the moment, it was best that no one else know the truth, at least until he reported it to the Emperor once the _Avalon_ returned to Pendragon. "Today is the anniversary of my father's death."

Cecile's expression quickly turned to sympathy. "I'm sorry, I didn't…"

"Remember?" Suzaku finished, laughing a little. In truth, the current date was nowhere near the anniversary of Genbu Kururugi's "suicide", but that didn't matter now. "It's okay. I don't think anyone in the current day would remember the death of a Japanese Prime Minister. But the man was my father, so I always drink to his memory on this date."

"Well, then…" Cecile continued. "Got another cup?"

"Sure." Suzaku answered, not really minding the engineer's company. He quickly produced another _ochoko_ and poured some liquid into it.

"It's been a while since I had _sake_." Cecile admitted as she took the cup. She looked at Suzaku with a bit more concern on her face. "But then it really has felt like a long time since we were in Area 11, hasn't it?"

"Yes, it has." Suzaku replied. "You know, I'm still grateful to you and Lloyd, for taking on a lowly Eleven private and making him into a true knight for the Empire. I'm not sure where I would be now if it weren't for you two…"

Cecile smiled at that. "I think it is we who should be thanking you Suzaku. If it weren't for you and your skills, the _Lancelot_ would have still be nothing more than a showpiece machine and we would never have gotten this far in development. You really saved our lives back then."

Despite the compliment, the Knight of Seven frowned. "If only I could have done that for the rest of the Japanese, like I set out to at the beginning."

Once again looking concerned, Cecile took a minute to find the right words for it, as she really had no way of knowing how Suzaku truly felt on that level. For all of her intelligence, Cecile had yet to learn just how it felt to be one of the last survivors of a proud race, and she had no wish to figure it out for herself. So formulating a few words together, she reached out and rested her hand on Suzaku's shoulder. "I can't imagine how you feel Suzaku, but there are just some things we can't fix, no matter how much we wish it. Sometimes, the only thing you can do, both for yourself and the people you lost, is just move forward without pause."

The Knight of Seven nodded hesitantly. He knew Cecile was speaking from experience. "I agree, but we should never forget either, no matter how painful it may feel."

"Yes." Cecile said, raising her cup. As soon as Suzaku raised his, she continued. "May the ghosts of the past rest as we continue marching onward to tomorrow."

Suzaku didn't fail to notice the irony in that, but said nothing. "_Kanpai!_" he announced before both downed their respective drinks.

* * *

**Black Knights air battleship **_**Ikaruga  
**_**Atlantic Ocean  
March 22, 2025 a.t.b.**

The _Ikaruga_'s staff briefing room was almost entirely occupied now. The long banquet sized table was packed tight with staff officers, all of whom were veteran members that had been part of the organization since the Black Rebellion if not before. However, none of them were speaking, as their attention was directed toward the side of the room toward the main monitor that took up the majority of the far wall. Playing over the aforementioned monitor was footage from the battle that had happened not too long ago, depicting the _Guren Nishiki_'s duel with the _Gawain_, along with some of the other battles with the accompanying Knights of the Round machines.

"This truly presents a problem." General Kyoshiro Tohdoh, Field Commander of the Black Knights commented as he stroked his neatly trimmed goatee, which he had recently grown, in thought. "Not only are they now well within Britannian territory, but they will likely step up defenses to prevent any follow up attempts. Even with our current force we would not be able to overpower them again."

"But we can't just give up." Kallen spoke up, feeling fairly ashamed of the whole situation. It had been up to her to capture the _Gawain_ and its pilot after all, which she failed to do. "The _Avalon_ is still a ways out from Pendragon, and with the _Ikaruga_'s Gefjun Disturber we could easily slip inside Britannia's defenses. There's still a chance to…"

"I know you want to have a second chance Kallen, but the risk is too great now." General Kaname Ohgi, Vice Commander of the Black Knights replied with some sympathy. "It's just as General Tohdoh has said, they will be on alert and waiting for us. And knowing Lelouch, he'll likely have come up with a plan to repel another attack like that."

"So we just give up?" Urabe asked, leaning forward. "I thought we all agreed if we're going to fight Britannia, that we can only do it with Zero as our leader!"

"Do we _really_ need him that badly?" Colonel Nagisa Chiba, Four Holy Sword member and commander of 4th Knightmare Squadron "Kyofu" put forward. "Doesn't anyone else think we have a good enough force without him?"

"What the hell!" Major Shinichiro Tamaki, commander of 7th Knightmare Squadron "Hebi" blurted out. "You sayin' we should just abandon Zero after all the shit he's done for us!"

"If it comes down to it Major, then _yes_. Do I have to spell it out for you?" Chiba snapped back at Tamaki.

"Fuck that! We have no chance against Britannia without Zero and you know it, Chiba." Tamaki smarted off, purposely not speaking Chiba's rank. "If it weren't for Zero, there'd be no Black Knights in the first place!"

"Yes, you've told us that a thousand times Tamaki." Colonel Shogo Asahina, Four Holy Sword member and commander of 1st Knightmare Squadron "Shinden" stated. "But if it means having to fight Britannia directly to liberate _one man_, then I say we go without him as well. We risked enough with the last attack as it is."

"Ah, not you too Asahina!" Tamaki replied.

"That's _Colonel_ Asahina to you, Major." Asahina growled.

"I'll call you whatever I feel like, damn it! I was a Black Knight long before you or Chiba, so I could care less about…!" Tamaki snarled back.

"Alright, that's enough!" Ohgi stated, silencing everyone. "Fighting amongst ourselves won't solve the problem. Stay focused on the objective at hand."

A moment of silence entered the room, which was only broken by the sound of laughter at the far end of the table, specifically the seat across from Kallen and right beside the table's head, which nobody dared to sit at at this point in time. As attention turned from Tohdoh over to the originator of the laughter, the woman simply flashed a sardonic smile.

"You people are amusing. After one botched operation, you're all ready to abandon the one chance you have at getting revenge over Britannia for the destruction of your beloved home country? There is a certain word for that." the woman commented.

"Shut up, witch! We didn't ask for your messed up opinions!" Tamaki roared.

As Tamaki spoke that line, the green-haired woman in the unique black dress got up from her seat and marched to the front of the room so that she could face everyone directly. While in the absence of Zero command of the Black Knights officially fell to Ohgi, nobody questioned that the woman standing before them was the organization's spiritual leader at this time, as well as the one who had kept them all together. She had, after all, been the one closest to Zero in the past, as well as the person who had granted him his unique power.

"Well then, I will offer them anyway, since it's quite obvious you are all lost without them…" C.C. began now that she could face everyone. "Yes, I agree that this operation didn't go exactly as planned, but that doesn't mean we lose all of our chances at resurrecting Zero. In fact, I think it works out better this way, since now we don't have to lie to everyone about holding Lelouch for ransom and then staging a raid on some Britannian prison for the official liberation of Zero. Less of a hassle that way."

"I suppose you have an alternate plan then Miss C.C.?" Ryoga Senba, Four Holy Sword member and commander of 2nd Knightmare Squadron "Shoki" said with interest.

C.C. seemed to give a small thoughtful glance. "I did put something together in my spare time, yes. It's a bit complicated, and some of the people at this table may lack the mental powers to follow it without aid…" Even without looking over, she could sense Tamaki's glare and upraised middle finger. "But if executed correctly, then you'll have your fearless leader returned to you."

"It doesn't have anything to do with a direct assault on Pendragon, does it?" spoke Major Kento Sugiyama, 5th Knightmare Squadron "Kaitou" commander.

"As a matter of fact it does, but that is not the crux of the operation." C.C. explained without pause. "As you all know, the reason our dear Black Prince and company are being called back to the Britannian mainland is for celebrating the Day of the Founding, specifically in the form of a huge jubilee that all royalty and nobility must attend. While Lelouch was never much of a party person, he will undoubtedly be at that one, which presents a key opportunity for us."

"An infiltration op?" Major Harumi Inoue, commander of 6th Knightmare Squadron "Ryusei" inquired. "I admit that it is indeed an opening, but isn't that a bit too public a place to kidnap a prince?"

"Obviously the person we send in would have to lure Lelouch into a private space…" Ohgi thought, considering C.C.'s idea with seriousness. "But the question is who do we send in? It can't be any one of us since they would recognize Japanese, but at the same time none of the Britannians on our side were ever part of nobility. Plus, we don't exactly have a written invitation."

"On the contrary General Ohgi, you are wrong there." C.C. said with a smirk. She then gestured at her arms like a magician showing there was literally nothing up her sleeves, before reaching back and withdrawing a sealed envelope out of nowhere. The seal on the envelope was recognizable as the Emperor's. "His Majesty requests the pleasure of your company at the jubilee ball, in honor of Britannia's two-thousandth and twenty-fifth anniversary."

Asahina's eyes widened in surprise, much like everyone else's, minus Tohdoh and Senba of course. "How the _hell_ did you get that!?"

"I could explain, but I seriously doubt you would understand. Just be happy with the fact we have this." C.C. said, fully amused with the reactions she was getting.

"Okay, we _have_ an invitation." Ohgi shook his head. "But we still haven't figured out…"

"And once again General, you are wrong." C.C. replied. She then turned and looked at Kallen in the eyes. "Isn't that right, Kallen?"

"Wait, _Kallen_!?" Tamaki admonished, speaking what everyone was thinking. "Are you out of your mind, you green-haired harpy!"

"Kallen's not nobility! There's no way they'd let her in!" Lieutenant Colonel Yoshitaka Minami, captain of the _Ikaruga_ let out.

C.C. just shook her head in mock disappointment. "For such devoted comrades, you seem to know very little about your friend's background. Perhaps you were too interested in her B Cups to notice that she is obviously half-Britannian and looks like it as well?"

"B Cups!? They're DDs!" Kallen shouted in a sharp, angered outburst. This was followed by a very short but uncomfortable moment of cold silence, as if the room had been filled with liquid nitrogen, with everyone at the table staring in amazement at her while C.C. flashed a triumphant smirk.

"Oh, they are? My mistake." C.C. replied with mock innocence. It was only then that Kallen realized she had fallen for the immortal witch's trap without even realizing it, and the witch took great delight in seeing her sink back into her chair. As a bonus, Kallen even managed to elicit a very jealous gaze from Inoue.

Having enough fun for the moment, C.C. decided to pick things up again. "Now then, as I was saying, Kallen's father was James Stadtfeld, 9th Baron Stadtfeld of Charlotte and descendent of a prestigious family which holds a long line of service to the throne. Or am I wrong?"

Kallen was hesitant for obvious reasons, but she answered C.C.'s question regardless. "Yes, that is true."

"And is it also true that you have no other living siblings, legitimate or otherwise?" C.C. followed up with.

That one Kallen answered right away. "Of course not! Naoto and I were his only children!"

The atmosphere in the room again chilled, but C.C. continued anyway. "Then per Britannian protocol, your father's title was passed down to you in the event of his death during the Devastation of Japan. Congratulations Kallen, you are officially a Baroness."

"No, it won't work!" Ohgi protested. "Nobles have to be knowledgeable of Britannian etiquette! There's no way Kallen…"

"As the daughter of a Baron, Kallen would have gone through such training when she was a child. Any elementary school student could tell you that." C.C. pointed out, which Kallen confirmed with a nod.

Despite that response, Ohgi placed clenched fists upon the table. "I still won't allow this. If Kallen gets caught, who knows what the Britannians will do to her…"

"The chances of their finding her are quite doubtful." C.C. assessed objectively. "Remember, the Britannians would be looking for Kallen Kouzuki, ace of the Black Knights, if they suspected her to be alive. On the other hand, Kallen Stadtfeld, Baroness and heir to the Stadtfeld family name, would be able to slip by them without detection as long as she doesn't do anything out of the ordinary."

As C.C. explained all that, Kallen turned back toward Ohgi to show some reassurance. Of all the Black Knights, he was the one who was most like a big brother to her, unconsciously having replaced Naoto's role in her life. And just like any big brother, he feared for her safety, even when some things just had to be done. "It's okay Ohgi; I have to do this. If we ever want to come out of the shadows and fight the Britannians directly again, I have to go and return Zero to us. Even if I have to drag him all the way back."

Knowing that there was no way he could argue with Kallen when her mind was made up, Ohgi could only sigh in defeat at her. "Fine, I'll trust you to do it. But don't get reckless out there."

"I take it the attack on Pendragon you mentioned is a distraction for Kouzuki to slip out with Zero in hand?" Tohdoh asked.

"What kind of an escape would it be without the grand diversion?" C.C. replied, hitting a button on the table that switched the monitor to show a map of Pendragon, specifically that of St. Darwin's Street where most of the Britannian royalty lived. "After making contact with Lelouch, Kallen will direct him back to the Aries Palace here, which is Lelouch's home when he isn't fighting for Britannia in Africa. With Sayoko's assistance, Kallen will then subdue Lelouch and bring him to the knightmare hangar that is next door, where Lelouch will have no doubt parked the _Gawain_. From there, she will proceed to hijack it and return to the _Ikaruga_."

She then pressed another button, causing the view of the map to zoom out, showing the entire city now. "Upon Kallen's signal, we will send units to attack these military bases here and here, as well as another unit to attack the palace district. This will all go towards disguising the operation as a 'mere' terrorist attack and allow Kallen to slip out more easily."

"What will our fighting strength be?" Sugiyama asked.

"Everything we have available. The _Ikaruga_ will stay away from the battle zone so that when the time comes, she can launch Gefjun Missiles to provide an opening for retreat." C.C. explained.

"And what do we tell everyone else?" Inoue inquired. "Besides the people gathered in this room and a few others, no one else knows of Zero's identity."

C.C. expanded the view of the map and highlighted an area on the northeastern corner of the city. "There is a mental institution here, which houses many criminally insane patients. During the battle, two of the present company will break off and perform a mock raid of that institute. From there we will claim that was where we rescued Zero, and all Kallen did was attempt to assassinate Lelouch and liberate the _Gawain_ in the process. The Britannians will no doubt follow up on that story, since no one in the royal court would ever wish to admit that a prince had been kidnapped on the Day of the Founding."

Tohdoh took all this in like sponge absorbing water, and in his mind he could see such a strategy play out perfectly, even if taking the Imperial Guard forces and Knights of the Round into account. After a moment, he chuckled to himself at the brilliance of it all.

This behavior of course confused C.C. and everyone else. "I'm glad to see you're entertained by all of this, General Tohdoh."

"It's nothing. I just find you more and more of an interesting woman, Miss C.C." Tohdoh explained, eying the woman carefully. "Not only are you a skilled warrior and unit commander in battle, but you also possess a talent for strategy. Are you sure you shouldn't be the one to lead us?"

The green haired "witch" simply laughed at that assessment, even though she knew Tohdoh wasn't being serious. "I assure you, whatever good I am as a leader, Zero is much better; I am merely his devoted partner in crime. Besides, it's not so bad being a follower this time around…"

Tohdoh raised an eyebrow, signifying his curiosity. "Are you implying that you were a military leader once before?"

That statement also gained the curiosity of the other members. While everyone knew that the woman known only as C.C. was immortal and possessed mystical powers beyond imagination, the mysterious being did not ever speak of her past to anyone, thus causing much intrigue around her. This also made it both surprising and not so surprising whenever she showed certain skills that nobody had expected of her at first glance, just like now.

"I imply nothing of the sort, General." C.C. replied with a certain "That-Is-For-Me-To-Know-And-You-To-Find-Out" chide in her tone.

An uncomfortable silence once again embraced the room, as nobody was sure what to say after that. However, the moment was soon interrupted by the sound of the intercom system going off and a voice behind it. "Colonel Minami, the _Avalon_ taskforce has now made landfall over Britannia. Shall we break off pursuit?"

Looking at the intercom speaker, Minami then turned back to face C.C., who nodded in confirmation at him. Seeing that, he spoke back to the speaker. "Negative, maintain pursuit."

"Say again, Colonel?" the man behind the speaker said in utter confusion.

"You heard me Major. Maintain pursuit." Minami replied. "Once we make landfall ourselves, standby on battle stations."

The voice on the other end couldn't sound any more nervous if it tried. "Acknowledged." it replied, then signed off.

Even though she didn't want to, Kallen asked another question. "You said I had to lure him to his palace. Does that mean I have to…?"

C.C. looked at her with a smile. "It means you have to do whatever it takes to get Lelouch away from that party without drawing attention. If that entails you dressing up in a pink bunny suit and motioning him back to his palace, you do that."

"I don't think there's a need to go that…" Ohgi started to protest.

"Relax General, Kallen won't have to do anything of that nature." C.C. reassured him. "The idea is to draw the sweet prince away from the crowd; from that point, either Kallen knocks him out with a drug or Sayoko does it physically."

"You make it sound so easy, considering this is a man with an IQ over 200." Kallen said.

"As I'm sure you've figured out Kallen, boys are easy to manipulate when it comes to girls, even the smart ones." C.C. said knowingly. "But if you don't want to, I'm sure Inoue could…"

"I already said I would do it." Kallen growled, as if warning.

The two girls' eyes linked over that, and C.C. could detect something that lurked underneath the surface of the red-head. Something of a more _personal_ nature than Kallen would have let on vocally. _I wonder how Lelouch is going to deal with this…_

"As long as you are willing, Kallen, then I have no issues." C.C. replied, then looking up to the rest of the audience. "It will be two days before the Day of the Founding; I suggest we spend that time preparing."

* * *

**Britannian air cruiser **_**Avalon  
**_**Atlantic Ocean  
March 22, 2025 a.t.b.**

The corridors of the _Avalon_ were eerily silent, broken only by the echoing footsteps of Gino Weinburg as he casually made his way up and down them. Even though the battle was long since over, the Knight of Three was too wired now to even think about sleeping; all he could do was walk around the ship until he found something to do or relax himself into fatigue. He even contemplated running a combat simulation on the _Tristan_, but decided against it.

_If only I had a hot girl waiting for me back in my room..._ Gino thought and sighed. As a matter of fact, there weren't too many female personnel on board the _Avalon_, and even if Gino could locate one to woo with his knighthood back to his quarters, he doubted there was much time left before they arrived at Pendragon anyway. So all he could do now was wait it out.

At long last, he came across the recreation room where he and Suzaku had been playing pool earlier, and inside he was a little surprised to see Anya sitting there, playing with her cellular phone. Gino smiled briefly, wondering how Anya could be so casual after such a hard battle; if there was any exhaustion in Anya Alstreim after that ordeal, then she was doing a good job at not showing it. Deciding he could use a more friendly kind of company, Gino walked into the room and sat down on one of the couches. After a minute, he looked over at Anya. "What are you doing there?"

"Organizing." Anya said without looking back at him.

"Any shots from that last one?" Gino inquired. "If so you may want to save them for Intel to look at, so they can identify those black knightmares."

"Some, but not very good." Anya replied. To show what she meant, the Knight of Six turned the phone toward Gino, which displayed one of the shots. Indeed, the dark sky combined with the equally dark colors of the knightmare in the picture made it hard distinguish the machine from the background. "Can't use them."

"Still, it's better than nothing. If we could so much as identify the nationality of those machines, I'll be happy." Gino said shrugging and settling back into the couch. Then slowly, he pulled something out of the pocket of his Knights of the Round coat, which appeared to be a cellphone of his own.

Her curiosity getting the best of her, especially when it came in regards to photography and keepsake items, Anya moved closer to Gino to get a better look at the screen, all without turning her head or even shifting her eyes. It was one of her habits when she was truly interested in something; she didn't want to admit she was interested in anything, so she tried to make it look like she wasn't all the while getting into a better position to look with her peripheral vision. Not many understood it, but then not many understood Anya Alstreim.

Gino, of course, saw her, and smiled at her actions. "Just looking through my family album."

The Knight of Six looked at her comrade with slight confusion, which could only be picked up on through her expressionless glance by those who truly knew her. "I thought you ran away from home."

"I did, but they're still my parents, and all they ever did was care for me. Can't hate them for that." Gino explained, though the tone of his voice seemed to contradict his words.

"If you love your parents, then why did you run away?" Anya asked.

Gino considered that question for a moment, then clicked through the photos until he came across one in particular. "Because of this."

Hesitantly, the Knight of Three flipped the phone over to show the picture to Anya. The picture was of a young woman that was dressed up as a maid, sitting on a chair while smiling brightly. However, what made the picture truly unique was that the woman wasn't a Britannian like one expected; instead, she had features that Anya found comparable to Suzaku in terms of facial structure and posture.

"She's Japanese." Anya observed.

"That's right." Gino said. "Her name is Aoi Hoshitaka, and she was a maid who came into the service of my family. She's a Cancer, loves strawberries and sugar, has one of the best singing voices in the world and loves going to the beach year round."

Taking all this in, Anya was quick to realize a key fact. "You were in love with her."

"That's right." Gino said, obviously reminiscing. "She was indeed my first love, at first sight even. I was only fourteen at the time and she was seventeen, but that didn't matter to either of us. Most of her family was killed during the Second Pacific War, so she came to Britannia to get extra money for the ones who survived. I admit we had a rocky start with that in mind, but I managed to turn her around with my charm and the fact that I didn't care if she was Japanese, just someone I loved and admired."

"What happened to her?" Anya cut to the chase.

That question made Gino's face darken visibly, and a tinge of anger found its way into his voice. "My parents found out about our relationship. My father got so angry he almost killed her and then threw her into the streets, all because a 'damned Eleven dare put her vile hands on his son'. And when I tried to defend her, he knocked me around too."

"Horrible." Anya said. Even she was a little shaken by the act that Gino described.

"Yes... It was." Gino murmured darkly at the memories, before continuing. "After that, they tried to 'reprogram' me to be like them and the other nobility: judging people by their origins while ignoring their qualities. Eventually I got so sick of it I ran away from home and joined the military." Gino sighed, continuing to remember. "I have yet to forgive them for what they did to Aoi. Probably never will."

Anya considered her next words carefully. "Did you find her again?"

"You could say that." Gino said, with that bit of anger still lurking in the depths of his voice. "She returned to Japan and is believed to have died with the rest of her family when the sakuradite went off."

At that, the Knight of Six said nothing, instead continuing to stare at Gino as if she were expecting something to happen. Gino in turn, took it in stride like he usually did. "Don't worry, it happened a long time ago, so I don't feel so bad talking about it."

"You're crying." Anya said as a statement of fact.

Gino stopped in his pleasantness at that statement. Reaching his gloved hand up, he wiped a finger across his right eye and brought it back down; indeed, there was a teardrop on the leather black glove. Seeing no way to disguise it any more, Gino turned away to face toward the end of the room.

"It's not right Anya." Gino continued, shaken. "For all of the good our people have done for this world, we've also done terrible, terrible things to it. Invading foreign lands without provocation, discriminating and enslaving people that are different from us, judging everything and everyone else by our own standards… And yet, weren't we just like them at one time?"

"We have forgotten." Anya assessed.

Gino nodded, letting off a pained laugh. "You're right. That's why I find the Day of the Founding all the more ironic, because Britannia started out in the same position as the Japanese: a small group of islanders standing against a greater empire hell bent on conquest. Sickening to think about, which is why I got a little put off by Suzaku earlier."

"Someday, Lelouch will change it." Anya answered to that.

The Knight of Three looked up with a peculiar glance. "You really think that?"

"I don't know why, but I…" Anya said, thinking hard to find the words. She didn't know where such faith was coming from within her, yet it still felt as no less than the truth.

Regardless, Gino understood what she meant, and in the midst of his inner pain, he smiled once again. "Yeah, me too. Lelouch is just that kind of man, always has been." He said, leaning back. "I really could see him turning the world into something better, for everyone."

* * *

**Black Knights air battleship **_**Ikaruga  
**_**Atlantic Ocean  
March 22, 2025 a.t.b.**

Now very much alone in the relative comfort of her personal quarters, Kallen laid upon her bed, stripped down to a yellow tanktop and her underwear in an effort to cool herself while staring at the ceiling. She would have been sleeping, _should_ have been sleeping, but she didn't feel up to it. There was just too much on her mind to even consider sleeping at this point, too many thoughts and memories that spanned all the way back to eight years ago. And so, instead of letting herself drift into the realm of dreams until she was called upon again, Kallen decided to try and alleviate those thoughts.

Shifting a little, she unconsciously rolled to her side, which gave her a good view of one of her room's walls and the picture board that was hung upon it. Aside from a select few of family and comrades, the majority of the pictures were those of her enrollment at Ashford Academy. They were all fairly random shots of friends that had been taken while she was there under the guise of Kallen Stadtfeld, the sickly girl that none except one had ever suspected of being a Japanese resistance fighter. Different situations, different faces, different smiles. One picture, however, stood out from the others, as it was of a certain black haired boy sitting at a lunch table, pen in hand while reviewing some Student Council papers, smiling innocently at the camera.

"Lelouch…" Kallen muttered his name out loud as she took a long, hard look at the picture. Even now in the silence, that boy was the only thing on her mind; not even the prospect of avenging Japan's destruction had as high of a place within her as the subject matter of Lelouch vi Britannia. _No, Zero…_

Upon the regrouping of the Black Knights after the Devastation of Japan, the first questions that had been asked, even before the ones regarding how they were to move forward, was the identity of the masked man that had led them valiantly. C.C. was very forthcoming in that story, which she only told to the key members of the Black Knights; that the man behind the mask was in fact a Britannian prince cast out from his homeland along with his baby sister and had led the Japanese with a mixed desire of vengeance and justice upon the world. At the same time, she had also explained his true power, the magic known only as Geass, and how it was both his greatest weapon and his personal curse, and along with that latter description, the _true_ reason behind Princess Euphemia's mysterious betrayal that day. The reactions were mixed; while Zero's more dedicated supporters such as Tohdoh, Tamaki and Diethard Reid took these revelations in stride, several of them were justifiably furious, whether be it toward Lelouch's being the Eleventh Prince, Geass or both. Some of them wanted to abandon Zero altogether, while others even considered assassinating Lelouch in revenge. A fierce debate followed after that, and Kallen soon found herself to be the only one that had not chosen a side, largely due to the final encounter at Kamine Island.

It was at that point, fortunately, that C.C. made the most decisive argument against the incensed Knights: that whatever action Zero had made, whatever deception he had created, was specifically aimed so that not only were his intentions fulfilled, but also those of his friends and supporters. Indeed, no matter his motives, Zero had never betrayed them and had instead labored tirelessly so that Japan would be liberated, which was what _they_ wanted, all the while also taking steps so that the Britannian hierarchy and those who held dominance suffered from the Black Knights' victories, which was what _he_ wanted. Chiba attempted to counter that claim by reminding the gathering how their leader abandoned them during the Black Rebellion to pursue his intentions over theirs, but C.C. rebuffed her by pointing out Zero had made sure that they were in victory's reach before departing, and that if it did come down to it being either his desires or those of whom he was fighting for, then Zero's attempt to have the Black Knights join the Special Administration Zone of Japan was proof enough of how far he was willing to go for them. While this didn't change the fact not everything went according to plan, it still said a lot about their leader's character at least.

After that meeting, they all went through a period of slow acceptance of everything Lelouch had done under that black mask. Some took longer than others, but eventually they all came to realize the truth: the only hope the Black Knights had in ever paying the Britannians back for all that they had done was in the very man that began everything. And so here they were, heading deep into the heart of the enemy's land, hoping against hope that they could somehow liberate their leader from the invisible prison that was his false life.

In all truth, Kallen did not know how she really felt about it all, or at least didn't know how to go feeling about it. For the longest time after their last meeting, she wanted to hate Lelouch for lying to her and manipulating her and her countrymen as chess pieces. It was only the natural reaction, and she was sure anyone else in her position would feel the same way. However, no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't find any hatred within herself for him; she was even able to see the logic of his actions. And it was this feeling in her that led to Kallen's _other_ dilemma.

Even though it had all happened eight years ago, Kallen could still remember the encounter on Kamine Island as if it had happened yesterday. She saw herself standing before the shrine, with Suzaku Kururugi further up facing down the cornered Zero. She could remember the first gunshot when Suzaku asked if she wanted to know Zero's true identity, as well as the splitting of the mask to reveal the face of Lelouch Lamperouge, only to be followed by their inevitable showdown before her. And above all else, Kallen remembered the eerie red glow Lelouch's left eye cast in contrast to its normal purple color, as well as the mysterious winged sigil that shown at its center. It was an image that Kallen would never be able to forget, even if she wanted to.

It had been brought up at the original meeting whether Lelouch had Geassed the Black Knights to be loyal to him and follow his commands. To answer that accusation, C.C. pointed out the fact that they were able to question those commands as well as their very allegiance meant Lelouch had not used his power upon them. The others had been able to accept that fairly easily, but Kallen could not; if Lelouch had not used Geass on her, then how was she able to look into his left eye without being influenced? She had confronted C.C. in private on the subject, and while the immortal girl did say it was possible that Lelouch had used it on her, she doubted that her partner would demand absolute obedience out of Kallen, because aside from the already given reasons, "it wasn't his style". Even so, that still left doubts in Black Knight ace over what command he could have given her.

With that thought in mind, Kallen rolled over to the opposite side, now facing away from the picture. As she began to finally drift to sleep, the ace took one last look within her heart and soul. And again, for everything that Lelouch had done she still couldn't bring herself to hate him, even when she had all the reasons to; in fact, the very image of him in her mind caused her chest to tighten in reaction, such that she subconsciously reached a hand up and enclosed it around the fabric of her top to try alleviate the sensation. While she was far from idolizing him and only him as she had during the initial days of the Black Knights, she knew in absolution that she had no hatred towards him. Instead, for all her confusion about how she really felt, there were somethings she was most sure of: she wanted to see him again, and even more than that, she wanted to free him and return him to the man he was. The man that had saved them and given them purpose. The man that had saved _her_ and given her _hope_.

For that, Kallen would walk straight into the lair of her enemies, even at the risk of losing everything in the process.

* * *

TO BE CONTINUED…

**Author's Notes:** Just a small mention, since I wasn't able to write it in, but the Black Knights now have standardized military uniforms as opposed to the more personalized variations seen in the anime. These new uniforms are based on the A-LAWS uniforms from _Mobile Suit Gundam 00_; just imagine those but in the Black Knights' black with silver lining instead of green with black lining, appropriate rank insignia being placed on the shoulder epaulets (based on those of _Star Trek Enterprise_'s Terran Empire, seen here: memory-alpha wiki /Terran_Empire_ranks) and an emblem on the left breast that's meant to symbolize what branch of the BK they're apart of. For example on the latter, members of the Black Knights' Knightmare Corps wear a silver _tomoe_ emblem, while High Command staff like Ohgi or Tohdoh wear a silver sun emblem (which is based on the insignia of the Empire of the Rising Sun from Red Alert 3). Differences between officer and enlisted uniforms include the lack of _kamas_ (skirts) on the latter and different headgear; enlisted personnel wear the flight caps from the original uniforms while the officers now wear formal peaked caps, and special forces personnel wear berets, all of which hold the sigil of the Black Knights on their designs. Headgear is optional outside of ceremonial purposes of course.

As an additional note, the pilot suits are different from the show with each country, which I will list out here. First, the Black Knights use pilot suits that are also similar to the A-LAWS' normal suits (which in turn is somewhat similar to Britannian pilot suits), with the only difference they're mainly black instead of green and with a darker shade of grey for the top "frill" and arm and feet attachments. The Black Knights' emblem is on the right upper arm, unit insignia is on the left upper arm, and rank insignia is displayed on the neck collar like on _MSG_ Federation pilot suits. As usual, ace pilots have the option of using custom colors, such as the Zero Squadron suits all being crimson. For the Britannians, they generally use the same style of pilot suit as in the series, but they're now more skintight, once more akin to a _MSG_ normal suit. And finally, the EU suits are based on Orb normal suits from _Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Destiny_, complete with grey colors as standard. And finally, Chinese suits are based on the ZAFT Red suits from the same series, with red being the standard color.


	5. Chapter 05: Jubilee

"_It is better to live your own destiny imperfectly than to live an imitation of somebody else's life with perfection."_  
- The Bhagavad Gita

**Chapter 05: Jubilee**

**Aries Palace  
Pendragon, Holy Britannian Empire  
March 25, 2025 a.t.b.**

Even all the way from his private chambers in Aries Palace, Lelouch could hear the great celebration that had overtaken Pendragon much like the Visigoths had overtaken Rome in 465 a.t.b. While St. Darwin's Street was a fair distance away from the parades and "commoner" extravaganzas, the Eleventh Prince could see that the two thousandth and twenty second anniversary of Britannia's birth was in full swing, and it was not likely to die down anytime soon. In fact, he had already been to a few of them while disguised as a commoner himself, if only to blow off time before the _big_ celebration at the Grand Hall was to commence. While Lelouch wasn't much of a partier, even he could not keep himself from getting swept into the great orgy that was the Day of the Founding.

All across the country and into the Areas, every city was in a state of fanfare and festivity, but even combined none could compare to the chaotic grandeur that Pendragon had grown into. The entire city was decked out in lights and colored streamers of every spectrum possible. Parades marched across practically every street like soldiers returning home after achieving victory in battle, all with different features to make each one unique to itself. Music of all forms and fashions cascaded through the streets, from ancient classics and folk songs to modern day genres such as rock and roll and techno. Hotels, bars, rave clubs and dance halls were all cleaning up amidst the masses of both citizen and tourist alike. Proper etiquette was forgotten and political correctness ignored all in the name of traditional Britannian rejoicing and remembrance. And finally as if to symbolize it all, fireworks of different colors and patterns exploded all across the sky. Overall it was almost impossible to remember that this was a time of war amidst the cheering masses, and the ones that did actually remember simply chose to let it go until the festivities came to an end and the Holy Britannian Empire went about its business of conquering and ruling the world again.

And here Lelouch was, getting ready for yet another party, but one that was different from the rest. Instead of celebrating as if it were his coronation, he would be spending the evening socializing with his siblings and various nobility over a glass of the finest wine while listening to classical melody after classical melody performed by the Imperial Philharmonic Orchestra. It went without saying that Lelouch was not looking forward to the occasion. _I left my command in Africa for _this_...!?_

But once again, Lelouch was a Prince, and as a royal he had to mingle with those of equal status first and foremost, even if most of them were as collectively useless as cavalry against knightmare frames. The way Britannian society was arranged, there were very few nobles that had actually earned their titles rather than being born into them anymore, and aside from Schneizel, Cornelia and a few others, royalty was much the same. For most of them, their greatest concerns and subsequent conversation topics were getting in and out of limousines or figuring out which operas to attend or which art museums to tour, while those who were involved in the current war preferred talking about their battle experiences behind the rear lines. The real combat veterans were the ones Lelouch could relate to the most, but very few of them, even amongst the Knights of the Round, were willing to strike a conversation, let alone talk about their experiences. Thus it looked to be an incredibly boring evening, unless Lelouch could either find a chess board and a willing opponent or an excuse to leave the party early and retreat back to Aries.

_Preferably in the company of a beautiful woman._ Lelouch thought with a small, sly grin. That idea would certainly make the holiday all the more memorable before he returned to the battlefield, but the search would be difficult amongst the herds of brainless nobles. Besides, it wasn't like he had anything better to do there.

A knock at the door and a female broke Lelouch out of his thoughts. "Your Highness, are you decent?"

"It's open Sarah." Lelouch replied as he finished fastening the button to his white tunic.

The door opened and a blonde, short-haired maid who was just a little older than her master entered the room hurriedly. "Your limousine has arrived. It's parked in front of the palace now."

"Very well, tell the driver I will be down in five minutes." Lelouch said while looking himself over in the mirror, which he also used to look at Sarah Beckett from the corner.

Sarah bowed and turned around to start her way back just as Lelouch spoke up again. "Actually, wait." When she turned around, Lelouch continued. "Out of curiosity Sarah, what are your plans for the evening?"

The maid looked back with some confusion. "Sire?"

"Come now, this is the Empire's most celebrated holiday next to Christmas. Surely you have a party to go to or a date planned." Lelouch said, still looking at her from the mirror.

The maid clearly wasn't sure how to answer. "I'm afraid I'm not much of a party person Your Highness."

"Neither am I, but I'm still a Britannian and this is the day our great Empire was established by Eowyn himself. That's enough of a reason for me to join the festivities." Lelouch explained.

"With respect my Prince…" Sarah began with a raised eyebrow. "I believe you're going to this party only because you are required to by your father, His Majesty. If you had it your way, you would still be in Africa fighting our enemies."

Lelouch laughed at that and turned around to face Sarah this time. "Alright, you caught me. But regardless of that, the other servants have the night off and I don't want you to be the only one here for the evening. You're too good of a woman to be stuck in the house."

And it was at that point, for the first time Lelouch could remember, that the prince saw his trusted maid blush. Instead of replying right off, she walked over and began to straighten out the purple sash that went with Lelouch's otherwise pristine white and gold personalized dress uniform. While white was not his preferred color, the prince still wore it with great polish and majesty.

"You do not have to worry about me my Prince, I will find surely find something to do for the evening. Pendragon is a large city after all. Rather, I'm more concerned about how _you_ will enjoy the evening, since you have never gotten along well with nobility." Sarah said as she finished adjusting the sash.

"I know." Lelouch replied with a reassuring smile. "With any luck something will happen to alleviate the boredom. Who knows, maybe I could challenge my father to a chess match."

"I think you would have better luck with Prince Schneizel. As I recall, you have yet to defeat him." Sarah said with a chuckle as she began patting his tunic for any lint or dust.

"Trying to earn contempt of royalty are we?" Lelouch replied jokingly, standing still let her do her work.

After the maid finished this and straightening out the rest of Lelouch's uniform, she took a step back to check her work, which she found satisfactory. "There, now you truly look like the Eleventh Prince."

"Exactly, what would I ever do without you Sarah?" Lelouch exclaimed.

Sarah looked up in thought at that question. "Well, it has been six years since Lady Ashford transferred me to your service. I have no idea how you managed to function before that point, but now…" she closed her eyes and smiled innocently. "You would simply roll over and die without me, Your Highness."

"Keep it up and I'll send you back to Milly in disgrace, and then you will _truly_ be sorry." Lelouch shot back with a false malevolent smile. Then letting the smile fade and taking in a heavy sigh, he looked toward the door. "Well, I guess it's time to mingle with the other bluebloods."

"Be sure to behave yourself this time sire." Sarah answered, then stepping out of the way to allow Lelouch to pass, which he did.

* * *

**Grand Hall  
Pendragon, Holy Britannian Empire  
March 25, 2025 a.t.b.**

"Kallen, Lady Stadtfeld of Charlotte and escort!" the porter soon announced, before he waved his arm to allow the two incognito Black Knights through.

Kallen rolled her eyes as the porter finished her name. If there was one Britannian tradition that she truly hated, it was how nobility were _announced_ at whatever party they attended, as if the lesser beings were expected to bow down and kiss the ground they walked on. To her, it was the height of Britannian arrogance, a reflection of the prevailing better-than-thou attitude that led to world conquest and renaming nations into numbers. Had this been any other occasion, she would have broken the porter's nose for continuing that arrogance.

But the whole reason Kallen Kouzuki was even there was because she was on a mission, and so she held herself back. Knowing that there was no turning back now, Kallen wasted no more time and marched forward into the ballroom, and was immediately she was met with a mixture of light, music and voices as her eyes adjusted to meet the magnificence that befell them. While the outside of the building was not much to look at, the inside was as lavish and ornate as one would come to expect from Britannia, with its red walls lined with gold, marble tiled floor, golden chandelier and brilliantly designed archways. The occupants of the room were also dressed to match the elegance of it, with the men dressed handsomely and stylishly while the women were groomed for grace and beauty, all in an assortment of unique and individual garments. Waiters and attendants ran up down bearing different foods and drinks, while a live orchestra played in the background and couples danced to the music brought forth. And just beyond them all was a staircase that led further up into the building, where Kallen suspected that the Emperor himself would make his entrance.

"Impressive, no?" Captain Alfred Gaius Darlton, XO of 0 Knightmare Squadron "Rei" and her "escort", smiled back at his commanding officer as he saw her intrigue. "When we aren't conquering entire countries and eradicating rebellions, we Britannians throw parties. _Large_ parties, for any excuse we can come up with."

"This is never going to work." Kallen frowned, feeling far more inwardly restless than she had ever felt before. "All we need is for one person to recognize either of us and we're through."

"It will work; all you have to do is blend in. So, with respect, put up a smile and bear it." Alfred whispered to her with reassurance.

"You try smiling while wearing this…_thing_, Alfred." Kallen answered with a small scowl, gesturing down to the ornate yellow silk dress that she was wearing. "I've never felt so much like a whore in my entire life."

Alfred did his best not to look down, even with a corner glance, as he was too afraid of the natural reaction he may get from being so close. While his CO hated it, the light yellow, white and red garment made her absolutely stunning beyond imagination: while not overly tight, it hugged her toned physique in a perfect outline as well as highlight her ample chest in a way that not even her pilot suit could, yet was still of a design that higher class were fond of. That combined with the structure of her face and her red hair, which was remarkably longer than how she kept it eight years before, and Kallen truly did look the part of a young socialite Baroness and _not_ the Black Knight ace that the Britannians had come to fear as the Red Dragoness.

"I can't say I'd look as good in it as you do Major. Don't have the hips." Alfred replied with a hint of sarcasm and a small smirk. He then turned serious again. "But that's beside the point; if anyone were to recognize you, they would have done it when your name was announced. And as you can see, nobody cares about another noblewoman joining the party, so just keep to your act and you'll be able to find your target without issue."

"And just what kind of 'act' am I going for?" Kallen said, not quite sure of herself.

Alfred smirk grew a centimeter at that question. "Do I truly need to explain, Major?"

The Major inwardly sighed, knowing exactly what the former knight meant. And so taking his advice to heart, she closed her eyes and cleared her mind, remembering the image of the frail, sickly girl that she had portrayed not too long ago. It was not an act she liked to do, but it was still a familiar one and she played the part well. Thus when Kallen opened her eyes again, gone was the stern and hardened expression of a warrior, having been replaced entirely by the soft and passive expression that she had been renowned for once upon a time.

"Very good." Alfred remarked as he looked over the would-be noblewoman, becoming satisfied with what he saw. "Now remember, make sure to wait until after the Emperor gives his speech. Before that point, no one is allowed to leave."

"I'll be sure to keep that in mind." Kallen replied in her now softened voice.

"Alright then…" Alfred replied before pointing toward a general direction. "I will be over there in case you need me. Good luck Major."

And so Alfred disappeared into the crowd, leaving Kallen alone for the time being. Truthfully she would have preferred his company for a while longer; even though they were former enemies, Alfred was chivalrous to a fault and easy to get along with, plus he made for a decent conversationalist when the need arose. But for the deception to work, Kallen had to be seen as meek and alone at the party, so she was willing to put up with the loneliness for the time being. Besides, she could easily make up for the lack of dialogue by getting something to eat, and when it came to food nobility never skimped on quality.

As she made her way to the buffet table, Kallen glanced around the room a bit more at the other guests. For the most part, the people that weren't dancing to the music were striking conversation with one another, whether out of social standard or simply just to pass the time. Off in the corner, a group of older men were talking about how they were being mistreated by their wives, while in another part a group of boys were comparing wine brands and vintages, and yet in another corner an apparent war veteran was talking about his exploits during this current Britannia was having against the EU. The ones closest to Kallen however were a group of women her age, apparently talking about nonsensical things such as who was dating who, how this party measured up to last year's and who had the better shot at gaining favor with a Prince. The natural reaction was for the Black Knight to subconsciously grimace at it all; the warrior spirit in her that she was most proud of could only chafe against these carefree people who only knew what it was to be at the top of the food chain. And yet, another part of Kallen wondered if that could have been her if she had chosen a different path in life.

While Kallen had always taken pride in her Japanese half, there were times she wondered what would have become of her had she chosen to go through life as a Britannian, as Kallen Stadtfeld instead of Kallen Kouzuki. She had garnered a taste of such a life in Japan when her father took her back into his care, but she had never considered seriously taking that path. Instead she had simply used it for her convenience to disguise her "true" life as a terrorist and then as a revolutionary. But if it had been different for her, could she truly have become just like these women there: dumb and happy with having everything handed to her with a simple command? Could she honestly have been satisfied with a life which held no concern beyond the gain of power and status in perhaps the most powerful nation to ever be created by man? For every ounce of thought she put into it, Kallen could not see herself being true to the noble lifestyle of wearing fanciful dresses and attending parties day in and day out while trying to find another rich noble to make a husband out of. In fact, she felt disgusted on the inside just by thinking about it, but she did not dismiss the idea that what she saw before her could have been the scope of her world.

Despite all that though, if there was one thing Kallen was sure about, no matter what course of life she had taken, she would always be a warrior at heart. Even if it meant becoming a soldier of the Empire just as Suzaku Kururugi had become rather than one for Japan.

_But that didn't happen._ Kallen thought, pushing the mental image of herself as a Knight of the Round out of her mind as she took a plate and placed some food on it. _I am Major Kallen Kouzuki of the Black Knights and one of the last Japanese. That is the only path I know and that is the only path I will follow to the end._

She soon found a table and took a seat, making sure that she was in a safe corner from too much attention. As much as she wanted to enjoy herself a little, she was still on perhaps the most important mission that she had ever been assigned to, and there would be damned before she forgot that. So far though, as far as she could see, Lelouch had not come to the party yet, which meant he was either en route or he was not coming at all. Kallen figured the chances were better for the former, since nonattendance meant having to suffer the Emperor's wrath, something that even the Black Prince wouldn't have been able to survive. But at the same time she knew better than to simply leave it to that, since Lelouch was still a rebel at heart and had a knack toward tempting and cheating fate.

With that path of logic in mind, Kallen's left eye suddenly started to glow red.

* * *

"I dare say, could this party get any more boring?" Lloyd stated before taking another bite of his bowl of strawberry pudding. Despite his apparent boredom, his expression was nothing but pure satisfaction as he swallowed more of his favorite food. "It feels more like a wake instead of a grand celebration."

"You're just upset because Colonel Croomy could get out of it since she isn't a noble, unlike you Lloyd. If you want however, you can just sneak out the back door like anyone would expect you to." the blonde haired woman in the rather revealing blue gown casually replied from beside him, with a hint of the mischievousness that she was renowned for.

Quirking a gray colored eyebrow, Lloyd rubbed the side of his arm as if it had just been bruised. "Ouch, that one actually hurt." he murmured, taking another spoonful of pudding. "But then I guess you wouldn't expect anything less from my ex-fiancée. By the way, have you ever considered us getting engaged again?"

Milly Ashford, 12th Duchess of New York, smiled at that while knowing that Lloyd would not truly care about her answer no matter if she accepted or refused. "I like you Lloyd, but you know that the only reason we got engaged before was so that my family could be restored to noble status, after we lost it following Empress Marianne's demise. Now that His Majesty has brought our land and titles back, I don't think I'll be getting married for a long time yet."

"Hey, you don't need to be so cold Lady Ashford. Men have feelings you know." Gino pointed out in some amount of seriousness.

"Feelings? Hah!" Milly laughed in that villainous tone that made her infamous throughout the Imperial Court. "Lloyd's reason for marrying me to begin with was to get his hands on the _Ganymede_. I really didn't think he cared about me at all, that is until he saved my life during the Black Rebellion."

"I won't deny it, but you can't fault me for my reasoning; there are many who would love to get their hands on that machine's blueprints, and my dear ex-fiancée here has gotten lots of marriage proposals over it." Lloyd confirmed between mouthfuls.

Gino sighed; there were times he would totally forget about the world he lived in and how people got married for other reasons than love. At the same time however, he could see Earl Asplund actually being attracted to the young Lady Ashford, as she seemed to have almost as twisted of a personality as he did. This was also the likely reason why she was considered akin to a demon in human form for some men and a goddess in the mortal plane for others, himself included. "I don't know milady, I don't think it's right that someone of your stature would be single. Perhaps you could consider looking toward a suitor from the Knights of the Round?"

"And I suppose you would be perfect for the task, Sir Weinburg?" Milly eyed the Knight of Three with a predator's gaze.

"I am merely presenting a suggestion. However, if you do wish to call upon me for your hand, then I would be more than willing to serve." Gino replied in the stereotypical accent that was closely associated to the knights of old.

The whole display only made Milly laugh more, and even Anya, who was also sitting with the group, seemed to shake her head slightly at how her fellow Knight of the Round just made a fool of himself. Gino himself took it in stride, since he doubted the attempt would have worked anyway; as far as women went, Milly Ashford was a tough catch. Of course, the challenge made it all the more fun for him.

"His Royal Highness, Eleventh Prince Lelouch, and Sir Kururugi, Knight of Seven!" the porter toward the entrance announced.

Upon the announcement, all four heads turned to see Lelouch and Suzaku march into the party, dressed in garb meant to symbolize their respective places in Britannian society, looking as though they owned everything there. This was also followed by the minute sounds of different women almost swooning at the sight of the Prince and Knight of Seven, with the duo's combination of good looks and dominating presence almost becoming overwhelming to those who beheld them. Even Milly herself had to admit that their arrival had just become the focal point of the entire jubilee; that is until the time His Majesty would enter.

After they looked around and found the table where their friends were sitting at, both prince and knight walked over and joined them. "Well, I see that the gang is all present and accounted for. Did you all wait long?" Lelouch observed with a grin.

"Ah man, with you here, my chances of landing a woman just dropped significantly. Couldn't you guys go mingle with the commoners or something?" Gino pretended to complain.

Milly nodded acknowledgment to either of them as they took their seats. "Nice to see you two soldiers remember your friends back here in the mainland. I was beginning to think you forgot about me in the middle of all that fighting."

"Milly, Milly, you truly know how to wound me." Lelouch replied mockingly. "Do you really think I'm the kind of man that forgets his dearest friends on a whim?"

"Regardless of it all, it's good to see you again… Lady Ashford." Suzaku hesitated, in spite of his position.

Milly smiled at the Knight of Seven's reluctance, as he had always been that way since the days of Ashford Academy. "Suzaku, I told you a long time ago that you could call me Milly. I only make the people who serve me or have earned my personal hatred call me 'Lady Ashford'."

"Hey, does that mean I can call you Milly too?" Gino asked with some amount of hope.

The Duchess turned back to the Knight of Three and smiled sweetly. "You'll have to grow up first, Sir Weinburg."

"Shot down again." Anya muttered as she took a picture of the group with her cellular phone, which she managed to smuggle in.

"Grow up!" Gino exclaimed in astonishment. "I'm much more 'grown up' than these two overdressed clowns!"

"Give it up Eagle of Britannia. These two are exceptional in my book." Milly proudly replied, nodding to both Lelouch and Suzaku. "I've known Lelouch since we were children, due to the close ties the Ashford Foundation had with his mother. And Suzaku has been my friend since the days of Ashford Academy back in Area 11, where he fought to save my life and the lives of our fellow students when the Black Knights occupied the campus. So really, you have a ways to go before you can compare to either of them."

Gino looked like he was going to spontaneously combust from the casual dressing down Milly gave him, and everyone else at the table couldn't help but feel sympathy toward him despite their amusement. Watching it in action, Lelouch suddenly felt a twitch in his mind as he watched his childhood friend in action. Just for a brief moment, he thought he remembered her differently, dressed in a school uniform of some kind conversing with other people, a boy and three girls, in what he assumed was a school room. Although brief, the memory felt very real, so much that it was enough to turn Lelouch's amused expression into one of seriousness.

Apparently it was quite noticeable, because his friends were quick to see of the sudden change in him. "Hey Lelouch? Are you alright? You look pale all of a sudden." Gino asked, waving a hand in front of the prince's face.

"Is there something wrong Lelouch?" Milly wondered, also looking concern. Suzaku wore a similar expression, while Lloyd and Anya just looked toward him curiously.

Lelouch just frowned and swatted Gino's hand away. He then came up with a simple but believable lie. "I'm fine, sorry. I guess I was just taken by your dress Milly, it's so…. _you_."

"Really?" Milly exclaimed, then seductively gestured toward the opening that showed off the inner parts of her breasts. "Well, don't get used to it. Tonight's a special occasion, and I just wanted to see men like Sir Weinburg here drool at me until their mouths dry up."

"Are you sure you want that kind of image La… I mean, Milly?" Suzaku interrupted. "Reasons like that tend to start rumors."

"Don't waste your time Suzaku, she's always had that kind of attitude toward her, even when she was a child. But I'm sure you already knew that from the Academy." Lelouch replied.

Suzaku just sighed, knowing that Lelouch was right and that there was nothing he could do to change it. "Yes, I suppose so…"

"Her Royal Highness, Second Princess Cornelia, and Lord Guilford of Richmond!" the porter announced once more.

Right after the announcement, Britannia's most famous princess and her knight entered into the party and began to make their way to the center of the hall, gaining the attention of many as they did so, namely those of Lelouch's group. Although she was now in her early thirties, Cornelia looked nothing short of spectacular in the violet gown she wore, which showed did a fine job showing off her athletic figure, and her new hairstyle, which ran straight down her back with a simple cross braiding at the top, actually made her look younger and more attractive. Unfortunately, this offset by her hardened gaze, which was one of the reasons behind her infamous nickname "Witch of Britannia". Guilford himself, who almost seemed to have been by her side forever, looked just as handsome and dashing as his reputation claimed, a true knight to the Empire.

As they past the table, Cornelia's eyes quickly met those of her younger brother Lelouch's, and upon doing so immediately hardened further into a deep scowl. Lelouch himself merely settled for a frown, one that showed no dislike or hate, but instead disappointment that there was still a gulf between them, whatever it was. This lasted only for a brief moment before Cornelia broke her gaze, but for the two of them it seemed like an eternity, and Lelouch felt his heart grow cold as he watched his sister and her knight disappear into the crowd.

The rest of the table could only look on with a mixture of discomfort and sympathy toward Lelouch. "I see that things haven't improved much between you and Princess Cornelia, Lelouch." Milly spoke for everyone.

"Well to play the Devil's Advocate for a moment, she was never a warm and loving person to anyone beside her dear sister Princess Euphemia…" Lloyd observed, stroking his chin with curiosity. "And now that Euphemia is no longer with us, it's only natural that Cornelia to harden further."

"But why does she hate you especially Lelouch? It's like she thinks you're an enemy or something." Gino asked.

Lelouch could only shrug, looking toward the tablecloth in thought. "I have no idea what goes inside my elder sister's head any more. The only thing I can do is understand her loss, because Euphie was my sister too."

Still next to him, Suzaku could only say nothing.

* * *

**Black Knights air battleship **_**Ikaruga  
**_**Duchy of Roswell, Area 1 (North America), Holy Britannian Empire  
March 25, 2025 a.t.b.**

Sitting on the command chair at the very top of the _Ikaruga_'s bridge, which was reserved only for the supreme commander of the Black Knights, Vice Commander of the Black Knights General Kaname Ohgi observed with deathly calm the display screen toward the front that showed a tactical image of Pendragon in all of its glory from underneath the brim of his officer's cap, which he made a habit of wearing whenever he was on duty if only to make him look more like a General. In particular, the screen had been magnified to display the Grand Hall building in the center of the city, in which two brightly colored red and blue dots flashed at different points within. For the last few hours, Ohgi and the rest of the bridge crew had been staring at that screen constantly, watching the progress of the mission from the relative safety of the _Ikaruga_. However, while the others were paying attention to the entirety of the screen overall, Ohgi was focused almost to the point of obsession on the red dot and the vitals display next to it that read "Q-1" underneath it. In spite of the time passed, it had not gotten easier since the first day to look at that display.

As obvious as it was to those who took notice, Ohgi was still nowhere near comfortable with Kallen's taking this mission. In fact, he was frustrated beyond limit from the knowledge that if the worst should happen he was in no position to protect her. This was only natural, because while the young pilot of the _Guren_ was as tough as they came, possibly more than any other member of the Black Knights could ever hope to be, Ohgi had been the one looking after her safety since the death of her older brother and his best friend Naoto Kouzuki all those years ago. He had even vowed as much to Naoto upon the latter's death bed, and would be damned to eternity before he would ever break it.

But at the same time, he also knew it would due him no good to show his feelings outwardly, especially to the rest of the crew; like it or not, Ohgi was leader of the Black Knights until the return of their true master, which meant that whatever presence he the commander displayed would be reflected directly by those who were under his command. That meant that he had to be as objective and impersonal as he could manage, even when his world was threatening to implode within him. Inside, he couldn't help but wonder if this was how Lelouch had felt from underneath that mask, especially in certain situations that directly affected him such as Euphemia's massacre. If he did, then Ohgi could only wonder further how a mere high school student could have carried such a weight, even with the side benefit of the mask hiding his emotions.

With that in mind, Ohgi took a corner glance at the mysterious immortal that was C.C., who was on the bridge now sitting in her own chair across from the commander's seat, watching the screen herself with an almost bored expression while holding a now priceless "Cheese-_kun_" plush doll in her arms. While she was far more adept at hiding her emotions than any person Ohgi knew of, even he thought he could see some genuine concern in her form toward the safety of her friend. At least he hoped he saw that, because deep down it made her all the more human, and that comforted Ohgi somewhat that the one who had come up with this plan wasn't entirely unfeeling. And on the brighter side, she had said nothing against Ohgi's own turmoil even when the vice commander was sure that so-called "witch" could see through it like glass, which served him just fine.

But even so, Ohgi was still far from at peace, and his eyes would continue to be glued on that red dot until the mission came to a close. _Damn it, I wish we could have sent her more support than just Darlton…_

Then breaking the silence was the sound of the nearby elevator door opening to reveal Yoshitaka Minami, who entered the bridge while holding two cups of fresh coffee. He handed one over to Ohgi and then whispered. "Here you go Ohgi, straight from the galley."

Hesitating at first, Ohgi nodded and grabbed hold of the cup. "It's not decaf is it?"

"Nope, and it's got plenty of cream." Minami explained, also taking a look at the screen. "So, anything happen while I was gone?"

"No word yet, but she's still in there for what it's worth." Ohgi observed, taking a sip of the coffee. By some miracle it made him relax a bit.

Minami observed his friend carefully, and then lowered his voice so the rest of the bridge couldn't hear him. "You know, after looking at you a second time, I don't think caffeine is a good idea. Maybe you should take a break and let me handle things here."

"I'm fine Minami." Ohgi insisted, also in a lowered voice, tilting his cap a little in an unconscious effort to shield his eyes better. "Just haven't gotten much sleep is all. Between Kallen being out there and the preparations for attacking the most heavily defended city in the world, how can anyone in my position get rest?"

"I can understand how you feel Ohgi, but we can't have you exhausted for when the time comes. You're our leader until we get _him_ back, if we even manage to." Minami explained.

"So everyone keeps reminding me." Ohgi replied, waving his comrade off. "Give me a few more minutes and I'll go above and try to rest. Not that I can guarantee it as long as Kallen is in the middle of ground zero."

Before Minami could reply to that, C.C. suddenly spoke up and entered the conversation. "As much as I find your sibling-like concern admirable for her, General, you do realize that Kallen would not appreciate your worrying. I think she would find it rather insulting."

Ohgi chuckled a little at that, knowing that while C.C.'s tone was in her usual snide, it was still a fact. "That's true, but at the same time all I can do is worry. Kallen's the closest thing I have to a living relative anymore, since I lost the rest of my family…"

"Really?" C.C. looked at the Black Knight de facto commander with miniscule curiosity. "I thought you had a wife and two children waiting for you in Naha."

"I do, but I was referring to my parents, brothers and sisters. I lost them all just after Britannia invaded Japan, which was why I became a resistance fighter in the first place. Since that time, the Kouzukis became like my adopted siblings, but the only one that remains is Kallen." Ohgi explained.

"What about you Miss C.C.? Aren't you the least bit worried for a friend in potential danger?" Minami asked.

C.C. blinked. "And who told you that Kallen is a friend of mine?"

"Well…" Minami tried to think of the right explanation, symbolized by his looking away and rubbing the back of his head in thought. "I just got the impression from the way you two interacted. I don't know why…"

The "witch" then turned and looked back at the screen, still wearing her bored expression. "No, it's okay. I'm not sure how she feels, but I do consider Kallen a true friend, one of the few I have in this lifetime. And as her friend, the only thing I can do is trust her to succeed in the role she was given."

"And if she doesn't?" Ohgi asked, now sounding a little angered that the one who sent Kallen out there didn't seem to show any concern for her well being.

C.C. could only shrug at that question. "If she doesn't, then it's her own misfortune for getting caught, simple as that. Whether that happens or not, worrying myself to exhaustion will not change the outcome; something you should consider for yourself General, since as Minami pointed out your mental health will be a determining factor in the next battle."

While the immortal hadn't even raised her voice beyond her normal level, her words reached Ohgi's ears like the roar of a lion, while the truth behind them sunk in just as quickly. As usual, the "witch" had a way with getting through the prepared defenses and delivering a crippling blow of reason directly to argument, just like she did years ago when the calls for Lelouch's death came about following the revelations of his background. Back then, while Ohgi had been one of those who supported Zero's resurrection in spite of his identity, even he could not have conceived any good reasoning for it beyond his effectiveness as a strategist and leader, yet C.C. was more than able to come up with every logical point in the world why they should to a group who initially weren't willing to listen to reason. And here she had done it again to his face, without even having to put forth effort.

In many ways, Ohgi hated that part of the "witch", but at the same time he knew it was necessary and important to the Black Knights, especially when the time came for Zero to don his mask once again, since her opinion was the only one he seemed to take deep consideration in. So after the following uncomfortable moment of silence, Ohgi took another moment to take off his cap and rub his eyes, before putting back on, getting up from his chair and nodding toward Minami. "Very well, I'll take my leave for now. Ring me up when it's time Minami."

And so the General walked to the elevator before Minami could say anything more and disappeared behind the closing sliding door. After he left, the _Ikaruga_'s captain looked at C.C. quizzically. "You could have put that a little more delicately."

"I could have, but that would have been out of character on my part." C.C. replied while inspecting her nails. She then looked serious. "By the way, you were on the hangar deck a moment ago, yes? What did Rakshata say about the _Seisoukenshikis_?"

Minami didn't look positive in any way. "She said that she's still working the bugs out of their flight systems, and that unless some engineering miracle happens in the next few hours, they will not be able to participate in the strike."

C.C. sighed in a little bit of frustration. "That's too bad. I was hoping to see how 13th Squadron would perform in true combat, and those knightmares would have given us a great advantage against Pendragon's lower altitude defenses."

"To tell the truth, I don't think they would have mattered that much myself. As said, this is likely the most heavily defended city in the entire world, and we will be lucky to pull this off without losing the bulk of our force. Any sane man would say this is all hopeless." Minami replied, though showing no sign of defeatism despite his claims; clearly he didn't consider himself a sane man.

Nonetheless, the "witch" couldn't help but see the irony in that assessment. _If only you knew who you were really talking to about that subject..._

* * *

**Grand Hall  
Pendragon, Holy Britannian Empire  
March 25, 2025 a.t.b.**

"All rise for His Imperial Majesty, the 98th Emperor of the Holy Britannian Empire!"

Once the voice of the unnamed Imperial Guardsman rang out through the hall, the sound of feet stepping down onto the tiled floor was quick to follow. In little more than a few seconds every single human in the ballroom that wasn't already standing, from the hall attendants to the lowest noblemen to the various princes and princesses, leaped to their feet and stood at almost military grade attention toward the staircase at the rear of the building, their sight unwavering and their breathing all slowed in anticipation. At the same time, the assembled orchestra switched to the famous, or infamous depending on one's point of view, Britannian anthem complete with the accompanying chorus singing out the lyrics in the traditional tenor. The stage was all set for perhaps the most important moment of the evening.

Coming down the staircase in a practiced descent, with each step a symbol of his majesty and power among mankind, Emperor Charles zi Britannia seemed more akin to a god descending from the heavens than a comparatively simple ruler of a great empire. His cloak billowing slightly from the movement and his piercing gaze scanning the ballroom of each and every one of its occupants, he mentally took note of every face he saw and how they in turn gazed upon him. Needless to say, the Emperor was completely satisfied with what he saw; even his own children looked upon him with awe in each of their eyes, which was both what he expected and how he wanted it to be. It was only natural that the most powerful man in existence be looked upon with a sense of power and superiority to all conventions, and inwardly Charles wondered if this was how the tribesman of the British Isles looked upon Eowyn over two millennia ago.

Then when he reached just ten steps before the floor, he stopped his descent. No more than a few moments later, the tenors silenced and the music died down, letting silence take hold over the room. Charles let the silence play out a little bit, if only to make sure that all attention was on him. Seeing that it was, only then did he begin to speak.

**"Two thousand and twenty five years ago, our ancestors brought forth a nation."** Charles began, his baritone voice echoing throughout the room like thunder. **"A nation, conceived in the wish for power and prosperity, and dedicated to the proposition that the strong would rule over all."**

Charles then paused momentarily, having to mentally hold himself back from smiling at the sight of the men and women captured by his words. **"In the beginning, this nation was little more than a shadow, a union of primitives dwelling in an insignificant land. In the eyes of the other great nations of that time, that little island must have appeared truly small and beneath notice. And yet it was on this day, in which that small nation began life by repelling one of the most powerful empires in human history, and forcing one of the greatest leaders of man to kneel in defeat. It was upon that day Britannia made its first mark upon the world, forever changing it, but that would not be the only time it would do so. From the beginning, it was destined to do more.**

**"Now two millennia later, the once primitive nation has grown into an empire far greater than its predecessors, with its name spoken across all corners of the world. But its growth was not easy; much had been lost to the passage of time, yet much more had been gained through strength and progress. And now, long since the name Britannia was first uttered, our nation continues to grow in strength and domination, becoming something that our ancestors never dreamed of. This new war is only a single result of that growth, testing whether that this nation, or any nation, so conceived and so dedicated, can continue to endure."**

Narrowing his gaze, Charles pretended to ponder. **"But in a larger sense, perhaps this is only the beginning of something greater. Perhaps in the future, Britannia as it is now will be looked upon no different than that little island when compared to the next generation. But that time is not yet upon us. Therefore, it is for us, the leaders of humanity, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work of our evolution, both as a race and as a species. We must remain vigilant to the great task remaining before us—that from those who came before we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the full measure of their own devotion—that we resolve that everything our ancestors have done shall not be in vain—that this nation, under God and Heaven, shall continue to march onward to tomorrow, never to perish!"**

Then with great motion, the Emperor raised his right hand, which clenched a wineglass. The audience followed him with their own glasses. **"May our Empire continue into the next millennium. _TO BRITANNIA!_"**

"_**TO BRITANNIA!"**_ the audience responded in thunder, although even their collective voices could not match the power of the Emperor's. And so everyone took a sip of their wine, and the party resumed just as quickly.

Standing a fair distance away in the midst of the nobility, Bismarck Waldstein watched with a careful right eye as the Emperor made the rest of the way down the staircase and came to the floor, immediately beginning to speak with some random high ranking nobles. Among his many duties as Knight of One, the highest knight in all Britannia, he also served as the Emperor's personal bodyguard, and it was that particular duty that Bismarck took a lot of pride in. For the time being however, he doubted anyone would be foolish enough to try attacking the Emperor on the floor, especially when the Imperial Guard was standing not far from his location. With his liege not in any potential danger, Bismarck decided only then that he could enjoy the rest of the evening.

However, when he started to make his way toward another area of the ballroom, a familiar voice caused him to stop in his tracks. "Strange, I never thought of you as a bodyguard that stood within the crowd instead of beside his master."

The Knight of One turned to see Lelouch standing right behind him, a smile to end all smiles firmly planted on his face. Bismarck was quick to match it in his own way. "Sometimes the best way to defend the master is to be amongst the gathered, as it can offer a greater vantage point. Not that it means too much in this place."

"I see." Lelouch replied. He then casually crossed the distance between himself and the knight, right before he surprisingly reached out and placed Bismarck in a firm embrace. "It's good to see you again Bismarck."

At first, Bismarck was surprised at the sudden display of affection, but after a brief moment the surprise was replaced by joy and he returned the embrace with some laughter. Only a prince like Lelouch would have the bearings to hug the Knight of One at a public gathering. "You as well, Your Highness. I'm glad to see you have returned from Africa in one piece."

Their embrace quickly ended and Lelouch looked back at the taller man with a smirk. "Did you have any doubts?"

"A few maybe. Even here in Britannia, I've been hearing a lot of things about North Africa. It seems to be the only place the European Union is putting up a decent resistance." Bismarck explained, also smirking. "Or perhaps you have been slipping up as a commander?"

"If I were, then would I have been able to establish Libya as Area 46 just a few days ago?" Lelouch shot back with equal force.

"I do admit you performed that siege with proper execution. That is until you nearly got slain by the Knight of the Skies..." Bismarck nodded, then thought of another matter. "How have Gino, Suzaku and Anya been holding up by the way?"

"Very well in spite of the setbacks we've suffered throughout the last few months. They have certainly done honor to the Knights of the Round through this campaign." Lelouch answered.

"Just as I would expect of them, alongside your leadership." Bismarck replied with clear approval. "As your instructor, you have made me a proud man Your Highness."

Lelouch beamed smugly from the praise, which was usually uncharacteristic on his part, but he had good reason, as amidst his various teachers at West Point, Bismarck had indeed been his primary instructor. While Lelouch had no idea how the Knight of One himself got pulled into educating him, although he did have his theories, it was through his rigorous training that the Black Prince had grown from a mere royal that had a knack for playing chess into a true military commander and soldier of the empire. It had been very hard during at first couple of months, as Bismarck had also been tasked with getting the physically frail prince into proper shape; from the annual eighty pushups to jogs around the airfield, Lelouch had come close to tasting death many times. Also making the training difficult was that Bismarck had absolutely no tolerance for Lelouch's usual laidback attitude; everything had to be done with the utmost seriousness and effort, no matter how dull or straining the task given. Lelouch doubted he had ever worked so hard in his life as he did at West Point, and even conquering Africa seemed easier by comparison.

But in the end, the training had all paid off, and Lelouch was who he was today because of it. And somewhere in the middle of it, the knight and prince had somehow managed to grow fairly close despite their opposite personalities and attitude towards things, as well as their different positions in their society. This was symbolized in one of their many chess games, in which Lelouch proclaimed to the Knight of One his philosophy of how the king must move forward in order lead his troops. After that game, Bismarck offered a way for Lelouch to live that philosophy through the cockpit of a knightmare frame, and from that point forward knightmare piloting lessons were added to the training regimen. The Knight of the Round had even allowed Lelouch to pilot his personal knightmare, the _Galahad_, during the training, which was one of the reasons why Lelouch had taken the _Gawain_ as his own machine as the two machines shared many similarities. And now there they were once again, prince to knight and student to teacher; while inside Lelouch was still hung up over having to practically abandon his command in Africa for this party, at least he got to see Bismarck before he returned.

"It's a shame that you're not able to partake in the fighting." Lelouch continued the conversation. "I imagine it gets pretty dull protecting my father's life here in the safety of the mainland. Have you at least considered assisting in the Russian front?"

Bismarck shook his head. "I do not think your brother Prince Horatio would appreciate His Majesty's knight infringing upon his war effort. Besides, guarding the Emperor is no less noble a task than fighting on the frontlines."

"I do not doubt that, but if the Knight of One himself were to participate in the war, then the EU would be thrown further into chaos just from the news of it. And that is always beneficial." Lelouch explained.

"In that case, maybe I should help you take El Alamein." Bismarck thought out loud. "A duel with the Desert Lion would be entertaining."

"Sorry, but I already promised Earl Asplund that Suzaku would be the one to fight him." Lelouch replied in turn.

Bismarck looked at the prince peculiarly. "Still wanting his beloved _Lancelot_ to be avenged? Amusing that it's the creator that has more drive than the pilot."

"That's Lloyd for you." Lelouch shrugged. "But if you still want to help us out, then we can definitely use you for the final push. Plus your presence would really boost my soldiers' morale."

"I wouldn't mind some actual combat myself, but I would have to see what His Majesty thinks." Bismarck explained.

"Perhaps…" Lelouch said, looking past Bismarck to where his father was conversing with some nobles. "And how has my father been doing all this time?"

The Knight of One also turned to look at the Emperor again. "It may not look like it, but this war has taken a fair toll on him as well. There have already been several attempts on his life in the past year, both from the EU's part and certain members of the court. But being the man he is, he remains strong regardless."

"I see." the Eleventh Prince nodded at that, still looking toward his father. While the Emperor was not particularly close to any of his children, Lelouch still held a great amount of gratitude to him. After all, it was by His Majesty's word alone that he had retained his place among royalty and his claim to the throne despite the deaths of his mother, Empress Marianne, and his sister, Eleventh Princess Nunnally. And it was also by the same word that he was given protection from his enemies in the court until he grew old enough to fend for himself. In all sense, Lelouch owed a lot to his father, and he liked to think he was paying that debt with his continued service and loyalty to the throne.

That's when Lelouch asked another question, if only for amusement. "Tell me Bismarck, do you think he would be willing to see me before my return?"

"Truthfully, Your Highness? Probably not." Bismarck answered with some sympathy. "If it makes you feel better however, I will pass on any words you have for him."

"No, that won't be necessary. All I would be able to say to him is that victory is close in Africa." Lelouch said simply.

Just as Bismarck was about to say something else, the sound of a woman's 'yelp' caused both of them to turn around. Not far from where they were standing, that very same woman had fallen onto the floor, apparently having just been shoved by someone rather than tripping. On closer inspection, that someone just happened to be Luciano Bradley, Knight of Ten.

Bismarck growled in frustration and clear dislike toward his subordinate. "I guess it was only a matter of time before Luciano did something horrid. Damn him."

However, the Eleventh Prince wasn't paying any attention to the disgraceful Knight of Ten, though he and many others were still metaphorically scratching their heads as to how such an ill-bred mad dog could have gotten into the Knights of the Round. Instead, he was more interested in his victim; a young redhead in a yellow gown with a great figure and a soft-spoken gaze. Lelouch's eyes widened from realization that he recognized that woman. _Is that…?_

"Excuse me Your Highness while I go clear this up." Bismarck said, looking more ready to beat the so-called Vampire of Britannia into a ruined pulp rather than simply talk him down.

Lelouch was quick to reach out and grab the larger man's arm. "No please, let me deal with this Bismarck."

"You sure you can handle him?" Bismarck inquired.

"I'm a prince." Lelouch said with a lowered tone, even though his eyes were still fixed on the redhead rather than the Knight of Ten. "If I cannot handle an unruly cur of a knight like Luciano Bradley, then I have no right to be a part of royalty."

The Knight of One himself noticed where his student was really looking, but decided it was no real matter. "As you wish, Your Highness."

* * *

Kallen could not have imagined herself in a worse situation than now, not even from her time on the battlefield. Just as she had found the opening that she needed to reach out to her target, she had managed to literally run straight into the most vile and bloodthirsty man in all of Britannia. To make matters worse, the Knight of Ten must have taken a peculiar interest in her, because he had actually shoved her to the floor with a small, barely noticeable push, and now he was standing over her, gazing down at her like an actual vampire to a maiden. And despite her best attempts to, Kallen was not able to look the knight in the eyes without seeing the pure malice that was behind them.

"Well, it looks like I've gained a stroke of luck tonight." Bradley smiled a demon's smile down toward the woman. While he had no idea who this woman was, she was quite attractive and that was all he really cared about. "It seems our fates have inadvertently become intertwined, milady."

"I apologize for running into you, Sir Bradley. That was misdirection on my part." Kallen replied in her soft voice, wondering why the hell nobody was stepping forward to defend her. Looking around, she realized that the nobles were all wearing similar looks of fear; apparently the Knight of Ten's reputation extended into the upper echelons of nobility. "Please, could you help me up?"

Despite the simple request, Luciano did not extend a hand and continued to look down on the young woman. "Do you know what people value the most, milady, more than money or power even? The answer is simple, it's life."

_Something of yours I would be more than willing to take, just not here._ Kallen thought, still trying to find a way out of this situation. It was one of those times that Kallen was grateful that she looked more Britannian than Japanese, especially if the stories of how this particular Knight of the Round treated non-Britannian women were true. "Is that so, Sir Bradley?"

"Yes, it is unbearably so." Luciano acknowledged, still looming. "Humans are all too willing to regress into animals just for the sake of living longer. Some have even made contracts with the devil just for brief respite. Therefore, it could be said that the desire to live is the driving force behind fighting and war themselves."

"I admit that is fascinating, milord." Kallen continued the act, even though inside she wanted to regurgitate. "But I do not understand why you are unable to help me…"

"All in due time." Luciano answered. "For the moment, I am rather enjoying our respective positions…"

A hand suddenly appeared on the Knight of the Round's shoulder and grasped hard, surprising both Luciano and Kallen. "That is _no_ way to treat a lady, Sir Bradley." Lelouch stated, his voice low and his eyes narrowed into a glare.

"And if it isn't the prodigal prince, returned all the way from the godforsaken desert." Luciano shot back as if to return the challenge to the Black Prince.

Before it continued any further, Lelouch maneuvered around Luciano, then reached out and helped Kallen back to her feet. Once she was standing again, he turned back to face the Knight of Ten, making sure he was still between him and the woman. "Have you no sense of manners at all? Surely a Knight of the Round such as yourself would know proper etiquette."

"I apologize, Your Highness, but I'm afraid I do not give a damn about etiquette." Luciano replied, clearly annoyed at Lelouch's intrusion. "I am merely a Knight of the Round because I am a genius in the art of homicide, and the Emperor recognizes me as such."

"Spare me your worthless bravado Knight of Ten." Lelouch retorted firmly. "His Majesty may allow you to get away with your brutality and your disgusting crimes against women on foreign soil, but you're back in Britannia now. Continue down this path, and there will be severe reprisals, some of which you may not live through."

Now Luciano's annoyance turned into full anger, symbolized by the murderous gaze he was casting back toward the Black Prince. "Is that a threat, Your Highness?"

"It's a _warning_." Lelouch replied sharply, his voice slowly rising to match the Knight of Ten's wrath. "Leave."

Luciano would have been willing to go at it with the prince a bit longer, even though Lelouch was looking down at him from a higher social perch, but his peripheral vision caught sight of movement. To his right, he saw his superior Bismarck Waldstein starting to draw closer to his position, looking far from pleased with the Knight of Ten's behavior, and to his left he saw a few nobles and royals casting dark glances toward him as well. Like it or not, this was the point where Luciano had to quit while he was ahead, otherwise he would indeed risk repercussion from those higher on the food chain than himself.

"Fine." Luciano spoke in a growl, sounding more as a warning of his own to Lelouch rather than an admission of defeat. Without taking a second look at the prince or the woman he had cornered, the knight spun on his heel and began to march to another part of the building. He even nonchalantly shoved a passing waiter to the ground as he did.

After the Knight of Ten disappeared and everyone went back to what they were doing, Lelouch sighed and turned back to the woman with a sincere expression. "I must apologize for Sir Bradley's behavior. I assure you that the other Knights of the Round are not like him."

_Lelouch..._ Kallen thought and fought herself to keep from speaking aloud, even when she felt a warm feeling begin to embrace her heart and stomach. She had expected some kind of emotional reaction on her part to seeing the man that she once revered as a hero again, but what she was feeling now was beyond anything she had been mentally prepared for. Indeed, down to the sense of flair and desire to help those in need, this man standing before her had been the one who singlehandedly changed her destiny, even if he did not remember. And aside from age and the scar that covered his left eye, which suspiciously looked to have been created by a blade, he looked virtually no different from that time either.

Realizing that she was close to spacing out, Kallen quickly snapped herself back mentally and answered the prince. "There is no need for an apology Your Highness, as I am grateful for your standing up in my defense. I was not sure what to do against one such as him."

"You shouldn't worry too much. People like our dear Knight of Ten only act strong, but when cornered they hold no real strength." Lelouch replied, still looking the woman over. "If it's not too much to ask milady, may I have your name?"

"Certainly." Kallen remembered to curtsy as she introduced herself. "I am Lady Stadtfeld of Charlotte."

"Stadtfeld…" Lelouch spoke her name aloud, thinking. He tilted his head in the process. "Yes, I am familiar with your family, but I believed them to have perished during the destruction of Area 11."

Kallen nearly froze at the mentioning of Japan, to which she hoped Lelouch's senses weren't sharp enough to pick up. "My father and my stepmother both lost their lives in that event, but the rest of my family were here in the mainland when it occurred. I was no less fortunate to be as well."

"Oh." Lelouch replied, showing some sympathy. "I am sorry if I caused you pain for bringing that up…"

"I do miss my parents Your Highness, but what happened is in the past, so again you do not need to apologize." Kallen answered simply and surely.

Lelouch paused for a moment. While this woman did come across as a typical Britannian noble, he couldn't help but feel there was something lying beneath the surface. And so he decided to take a more direct approach. "Forgive my bluntness Lady Stadtfeld, but have we met before? Perhaps somewhere outside the homeland?"

Kallen was even less sure about how to answer that one, but she tried anyway. "Please call me Kallen, sire. And no, I do not believe we have met before."

"Oh, then I must be mistaken…" Lelouch said while mentally pondering that name of Kallen Stadtfeld. It seemed to strike a familiar chord in his mind, but he still could not remember anything about this girl beyond those images that kept entering his mind, one after the other. He needed more clues.

Taking a corner glance at the dance floor, he noted that the orchestra had just finished their latest piece, and everyone applauded the band and the dancers who were making their way off the floor. There was an opportunity there, which Lelouch would utilize. "Kallen… In exchange for my guarding you against that foul beast known as Sir Bradley, perhaps I could have the honor of a dance?"

Kallen looked over to the dance floor herself and then back at Lelouch. It seemed like a simple enough request, and it worked toward her benefit in gaining the Eleventh Prince's confidence. So she accepted. "It would be _my_ honor, Your Highness."

Lelouch smiled at that, and then reached out to take her hand before leading her to the dance floor.

* * *

"…and that's when Bradford yelled 'milord, that's not how you eat black pudding'!'"

With practiced timing, Suzaku let out a small burst of laughter that sounded sincere enough when deep down he wanted to be somewhere else. Originally he had moved away from his group just for a small respite from the their collective antics, as the combination of Milly, Gino and Lloyd could become overwhelming after a while, but in the process he ended up bumping into Walter Maxwell, 11th Duke of Tennessee, who had just returned from the Western European Front himself. In spite of the short time period since Britannia started its invasion into Europe, Maxwell had no shortage of stories to tell about his ventures, and not even Suzaku being the Knight of Seven could save him from having to listen to them as boring as they were.

_And I used to think Knights of the Round were above all this._ Suzaku thought behind his façade of amusement. "Well, I can't say something like that has _ever_ happened to me in my own years of service, Duke Maxwell. And hearing it from you, I can only imagine how unique an experience it was. Whatever happened to Sir Bradford?"

Maxwell's demeanor turned grim upon that question, but he gave the Knight of Seven a direct answer. "Ah, the poor lad was done in when we hit Madrid. Bloody _Panther_ drove a bayonet straight through his cockpit; never had the chance to eject."

"Oh…" Suzaku paused, frowning. "My apologies then. I had no idea…"

"That's all fine Sir Kururugi. Bradford went down fighting, even bagged three other _Panthers_ and a _Leopard_ before his time came." Maxwell replied. "In the end, we took Madrid in the name of king and country, and that's what matters."

"Of course, Duke Maxwell." Suzaku confirmed, as he mentally tried to find some excuse to slip away before the Duke thought up another story to tell.

At that point, the orchestra had started up again with a new song, and for a brief moment Suzaku felt drawn to the music. Maxwell was keen enough to notice to notice this. "But I think I've wasted enough of your time Sir Kururugi. Perhaps you would like to find someone to have a dance with you?"

Suzaku snapped back at that suggestion. "I'm afraid there is no longer anyone who holds my interest in that state of mind."

"Come now my boy, I know you have several admirers, and not all of them are commoners either." Maxwell explained, then looking past him toward the dancers. "Besides, you are still young, and young people should be active in seeking companionship."

"If you say so Duke Maxwell." Suzaku replied, as his eyes found Lelouch among the dancers. Inwardly he was glad that at least his friend was enjoying himself when he could not; eight years later and he was still a long way from fully recovering from the death of his princess. While Euphie would have wanted Suzaku to find happiness, if only in the moment, the White Knight just did not feel ready to move on yet. Besides, contrary to what he had told Duke Maxwell, there was _one_ other person besides Euphie that Suzaku had in his heart, but she was not present...

And then, as if by some sick twist of fate, his gladness came to an abrupt end when he saw the face of the woman that Lelouch was dancing with, and his own degenerated into a mixture of visible shock and disturbance. Among his gifts, Suzaku may not have had a photographic memory, but he did well never to forget those that had done battle with him in the past. _What is _she_ doing here!_

"Sir Kururugi, is something wrong?" Maxwell looked up in confusion at the Knight of Seven's new expression.

"If you will excuse me Duke Maxwell, I have something to look into." Suzaku replied, then moved away before the Duke could question him further.

Now on full alert and mentally preparing himself for a fight, Suzaku began marching toward the dance floor while either maneuvering around others or gently pushing aside those that he could not evade. Questions filled his mind in the process; he knew why Kallen Kouzuki was in Britannia, and he could summarize how she managed to get into the building without creating suspicion, but what he did not know was how she managed to slip all the way into Pendragon in the beginning from wherever she and the rest of her kind had been hiding out. Additionally, if she was in the capital, there was also a good chance that the other Black Knights were there too, which meant a number of other things that Suzaku didn't want to ponder. He could confirm them all upon questioning the Black Knight ace anyway.

Before he could make it to the floor however, a body came into his path and he ran into it before he was able to evade. He managed to keep either of them from stumbling though, and when he looked at who he ran into, he saw that it was Milly. "Pardon me Milly, I wasn't paying attention."

"So I noticed." Milly replied and straightened herself out. "Trying to leave the party early Suzaku? Or did you actually find a woman that gained your fancy?"

_You have no idea_. Suzaku thought. "I wanted to see who Lelouch was dancing with. You recognize her perhaps?"

Milly took one look toward Lelouch's direction, then answered. "I believe that is Lady Stadtfeld that our dear Black Prince is waltzing around with. From what I gather, her family deals mostly in banking; they even own a major trust company."

"Are you sure that's all you know about it? Doesn't she look the least bit familiar to you?" Suzaku continued.

The aristocrat raised an eyebrow at the Knight of Seven's behavior. "Exactly what are you implying Suzaku? Are you suggesting I know her on the personal level, or do you believe we Ashfords have had dealings with the Stadtfelds in the past?"

Suzaku was at a loss of words, and no matter what explanation he could come up with, he doubted Milly would be convinced. He wondered if this was a product of the Emperor's Geass as well; one of the key factors behind Lelouch's resurrection into Britannian society was that the Emperor had altered the memories of two separate groups that were tied to the Eleventh Prince's exile. One were the nobles and Imperial Guardsmen that had witnessed the Emperor sending Lelouch and Nunnally to Japan on that fateful day fifteen years ago, who were then led to believe that Lelouch simply went into hiding somewhere in the mainland following Empress Marianne's assassination; because the exile had never been public, only those assembled had any knowledge of it. Subsequently, these new memories also had it where Nunnally had been killed in the attack as well.

The other group was the surviving student body of the now defunct Ashford Academy, who had all been brought before the Emperor and given false memories of the Lamperouges _not_ being in Area 11 at any time, least of all during the Black Rebellion. It had taken a lot of time in tracking down all of the students after the Devastation of Japan, but Suzaku himself had made sure that everyone had been accounted for. Thus as far as everyone believed, Lelouch had simply fallen off the map until finally reemerging to the public eye eight years ago, when he began his military training.

However, while he knew that the Emperor had removed all mention of Lelouch's time in the east end of the world from Milly Ashford's memories, he had not imagined that he also had changed it so she would not have recognized fellow classmate Kallen Stadtfeld either. Or was there something else going on…?

"No answer huh?" Milly spoke, then grinned in that cat-like fashion of hers. "In that case, how about we leave the two alone, and I'll introduce you to some friends that would love to meet the Knight of Seven in person."

"Wh…What?" Suzaku stammered. "That's not really necessary, Milly…!"

"Sure it is!" Milly stated, grabbing Suzaku by the arm. "You're at a party aren't you? Then the least you can do is try to have fun before you head back to war!"

Cackling like a witch over a bubbling cauldron, Milly drug her hapless victim away, in turn also removing any possibility of exposing the imposter.

* * *

In spite of her mission, Kallen was actually content with the whole scene she was in, dancing with one of the few men in existence that she held in high regard amidst a circle of dancers to a mystical tune; it almost made her feel truly like Cinderella, which was one of her favorite fairy tales growing up. Strangely, she had never considered this kind of event occurring when she went through possible scenarios before coming here, but now that it actually happened, she really didn't mind enjoying it for a while. At the same time however, she did not fail to remember that she was still on a mission with her comrades depending on her, and that this was only a stopgap measure to sway her target toward the direction she wanted.

"You dance well." Lelouch complimented, inadvertently interrupting her thoughts in the midst of their dance.

Nonetheless, Kallen was quick to acknowledge it. "I've had training since I was ten. But then, don't all noblewomen?"

"Unfortunately no. Most noblewomen are only content with being arm decorations for potential husbands. You on the other hand have a certain style and technique to your movements, which I wasn't expecting." Lelouch replied.

Kallen was a little amused at that. "I'm glad I could surprise you, Your Highness."

"Lelouch will do fine." Lelouch corrected. "I know it sounds strange coming from a prince, but I prefer those close to me to use my first name."

"And we've grown close just after our first meeting?" Kallen questioned.

Lelouch smirked at that retort. While there were many gaps in his memory, there was one thing he was sure of: this was _not_ their first meeting. "It may be presumptuous of me, but I like to think we're at least above total strangers now."

"I don't think we were ever at that level, since I've known about you for some time." Kallen said, which in a strange way was the truth.

"Really? And what exactly do you know about me?" Lelouch asked in curiosity.

_More than you realize._ Kallen thought with a smirk of her own before answering. "What isn't to know? You're Eleventh Prince Lelouch vi Britannia, son of the late Empress Marianne and seventeenth in line to the throne. You disappeared from the public light after your mother's death, only to reemerge seven years later to take on military duty, and since then you've led our noble Empire to victory in Africa. Or have I misheard any of this?"

"No, that pretty much covers the worthwhile parts of my life, though we haven't won Africa just yet." Lelouch concluded, and then considered something else after a momentary pause between the two. "It's funny, you seem to know everything about me, but I know next to nothing about you beyond your family name."

Kallen laughed a little, again inwardly seeing the irony. "I'm afraid my own life is not as… epic as yours. I am merely the daughter of an economist still trying to find her way through the world."

"I am not so sure." Lelouch said, looking straight into Kallen's eyes. "I get the feeling there is more to you than that, Kallen Stadtfeld. And if there isn't now, then there will be in the future."

It took nearly all of Kallen's being to look back into the prince's eyes and not flinch; such was the power of his gaze. "If that is what you believe, Lelouch vi Britannia."

"Well, I do have a tendency to be right most of the time." Lelouch acknowledged, the images of a certain black uniformed redhead playing through his mind's eye while their waltz continued on.

* * *

_This certainly turned out better than expected_. Alfred thought as he watched Kallen dance with the Eleventh Prince amidst the rest of the spectators. It wouldn't be long now before the Major would lure the royal away to dispense some justice for the Japanese and Britannians that lost their lives eight years ago, or at least that was what Alfred imagined was his superior's assignment. He had not been privy to the true nature of her mission here, only that he was to provide backup until her target presented himself.

But now that things were underway, Alfred decided it was time to prepare for the main event himself. There wouldn't be a large window of time before Kallen succeeded in her mission and would be in need of a knightmare supported exit. So, turning around and walking past the crowds of people and through the main entryway, he then proceeded to retrieve his car, which had been "acquired" the day before, and drove away from the Royal Quarter at great speed while being mindful of the speed limit signs. The trip would have taken anywhere from a half hour to full hours due to the streets being constrained with parades and jovial pedestrians, but Alfred knew his way around the city well enough to find the necessary back roads and shortcuts. After some driving and a near accident with a drunken couple who didn't know which direction was "up", Alfred finally arrived at his intended destination, an old boneyard in the northern outskirts of the city.

Quickly exiting his original vehicle in a clearing amidst the various scrap heaps, the Britannian Black Knight made the rest of the way on foot until he came across an enlarged cargo trailer that was parked behind the remains of a nearly ancient _Vulcan_ strategic bomber. After making sure no other human being was near, he then entered the access passcode on the door keypad and entered into the tractor section and sat himself down onto the driver's seat. There he shed the jacket to his tuxedo and unbuttoned the top buttons of his dress shirt to cool himself down a little, before turning on the long-range radio that had been modified into the center console and switching it over to a designated frequency. It took him a moment or two before he finally got on the one he needed, which was the secure line back to the _Ikaruga_.

"N-6 to Grosbeak, come in please, over." Alfred began calling out over the radio. "Repeat, N-6 to Grosbeak, come in please, over. Grosbeak, are you receiving?"

A few moments later, the desired response came in the sweet sounding voice of Corporal Mutsuki Minase, the _Ikaruga_'s communications operator. "This is Grosbeak, reading you loud and clear N-6. R-3 requests sitrep, over."

Alfred looked at the radio peculiarly; R-3 was the callsign for Colonel Minami rather than General Ohgi, who he had been expecting to be listening at this time. Nonetheless, he replied. "Sitrep is as follows: Q-1 has made contact with main objective, proceeding forward now. Will need cavalry soon."

"Status of city fortifications?" Minase added.

"All clear for the party crashing, but expect numerous non-combatants on field." Alfred answered.

There was a momentary pause before the next reply. "Grosbeak acknowledges. Set countdown for mission start… now. See you at the party N-6. Over and out."

"Over." Alfred signed off and deactivated the radio. It was done now: the attack would begin in the next half-hour, whether he and his boss were ready for it or not. There was no turning back from this point forward, especially with how far things had come.

He sighed, then stretched and yawned lazily, feeling somewhat fatigued from the party, but not enough to keep Alfred from relishing the idea of going into battle. It had been eight years since the last time he had been in non-simulated battle, and in spite of the risk of death, the former Britannian knight was looking forward to slaying enemies in a knightmare once again. That is, until he realized for the first time in years that he would actually be fighting his own countrymen.

That thought alone made Alfred pause in his thoughts, even as he slipped back into the trailer portion of the cargo transport and began shedding his tux for his pilot suit. Though it had been eight years and he had known throughout that time by being a Black Knight he would be fighting against Britannia, he had never really considered the idea of actually killing other Britannian soldiers until this point. The idea was both exhilarating and repulsive to him, much like the consuming of choice alcohol for the very first time, since he knew Britannians above all others would be challenging opponents, but at the same time they shared connections to him that his current allies did not. Even the idea of having to destroy _Sutherlands_ and _Gloucesters_, two machines that he had long ago come to instinctively recognize as "good guys" made him uncomfortable; this was especially more in case of the latter, as he had made his name known in a _Gloucester_ while serving in the elite Glaston Knights under Second Princess Cornelia and his adopted father, Major General Andreas Darlton.

Alfred frowned when the image of his long deceased father and brothers came to mind, as he had never decided for himself how they would have felt about the choice he had made. After all, it had been his father who had instilled upon him the desire to serve his homeland with the honor and devotion of a knight, and it had also been his father who he had followed in example. And then there were his brothers, who in spite of not being true siblings through blood, shared that same desire and loyalty to their country with him. Could any of them, especially his father, ever have accepted his choice to fight against Britannia had they survived to this point?

No matter how much Alfred contemplated it, even after he fully clothed himself in his custom pilot suit, which was colored crimson to symbolize his association to Zero Squadron, he could not find a true answer. What he did know, however, was that neither his brothers nor Andreas Darlton would _ever_ had supported the Devastation of Japan. Yes, in the past they had seen the massacring of innocent numbers to further subjugate the Areas, but they never had a taste for it like other Britannians, and whenever any of them were called to serve in those, their father had instructed them to only follow orders and nothing more. But what happened in Area 11 was totally different from those minute "purges"; that whole cataclysm drove an entire race to near extinction and had also killed most of the innocent Britannian citizens that Alfred and his family had sworn to protect, as well as many of his own fellow comrades.

Alfred could still see himself at that scene, readying himself to lead one last charge against the Black Knights in his one armed _Gloucester_, still holding onto his lance without relent. He remembered quite vividly how the ground began to shake violently, moderate at first but then growing to proportions beyond that of a normal earthquake. Then the buildings began to fall and the explosions erupted, and the next thing the then Glaston Knight realized was he was gunning it down the ruined street in an effort to seek shelter. But even with the speed of the _Gloucester_ he could not escape it, and he and his knightmare would end up becoming buried under a falling pile of rubble, from which point he blacked out. Had it not been for the strengthened hide of his machine, Alfred had no doubts he would have died there like so many of his own kind rather than be found and rescued by other survivors. No, no matter how his father would have felt about his joining the enemy, he would never have supported the decision to obliterate Area 11 with its own natural fuel source, not even if the Emperor himself ordered it.

Alfred took solace in that idea, just as he picked up the final piece of his "battle wear": a black visor that resembled a _Gloucester_'s faceplate, the very same that he had worn proudly into battle as a Glaston Knight. By some miracle it had managed to survive both the Black Rebellion and the following destruction along with its wearer, even when the four other Glastons did not. Now he would wear it into a different kind of battle, one that saw him as Captain Alfred G. Darlton of the Order of the Black Knights instead of Sir Alfred G. Darlton, loyal son of Britannia.

"Where I go now, I do not expect you would follow." Alfred murmured, remembering the faces of his family as he did. "I do not ask for your understanding or your forgiveness. Neither do I expect to join you in the same afterlife when all is said and done. The only thing I can ask of you, of all of you, is this…"

He paused to brush his finger across the quartz 'T' lens, and then closed his eyes. "Please, watch over me, as you always have."

When his eyes opened again, they gazed straight forward with nothing but pure determination. It was then that Alfred slipped the visor over his face and turned toward his waiting _Guren Isshiki_, knowing that in twenty-two minutes and thirty-six seconds the world would never be the same again. And as he stood by the open cockpit, waiting for the countdown to end and the fated battle to begin, he could not help but remember a quote from Julius Caesar, which he reportedly made before beginning his civil war against the Roman Republic in 6 a.t.b.

_Alea iacta est. _

_The die is cast._

* * *

TO BE CONTINUED…

**Author's Notes:** Whew, this is probably the longest chapter I've typed yet. Ironic, since there is no battle in this chapter, just the prelude of one. I know people have been telling me that if I want to gain a larger audience, I have to cut down on chapter length and paragraphs; not that I don't listen to those suggestions, but I'm not writing this story to satisfy my inferiority complex with people telling me "good job!" and "keep it up!" over and over. I'm writing this because I'm having fun doing it, pure and simple.

Anyway, for those interested, I didn't really have a BGM in mind for the jubilee itself. I mostly listened to Gustav Holst's "The Planets" while typing this all out, but none of those are appropriate for ballroom dancing or the extra lively atmosphere that comes with it. The best I can tell you is to pick any classical track you feel fits. However, for the point Lelouch and Kallen hold their dance, I originally chose "Waltz of the Diamond" from the _Kingdom Hearts II_ OST, but then a friend suggested "Butou" from _Fullmetal Alchemist_, and after listening to it once, I decided to pull a retcon. Apologies to the readers for that.

Other than that, I based Charles' speech off of the Gettysburg Address, though I had to seriously reword it to better fit the Britannian mindset of "all men are unequal."


	6. Chapter 06: The Hammer Falls

"_To win the battle is to be prepared to die."_  
- Musashi Miyamoto

**Chapter 06: The Hammer Falls**

**Aries Palace**  
**Pendragon, Holy Britannian Empire**  
**March 25, 2025 a.t.b.**

It was almost as if a whirlwind had settled upon Kallen Kouzuki's world since meeting Lelouch at the party. One minute, she was totally focused on her mission and goal toward the resurrection of the leader of the Black Knights, with no distractions or opposition, and then the next minute, right after she managed to reestablish contact, that focus became clouded over with pleasure and enjoyment from being treated like a queen by one of the most eligible bachelors in the world. It was only thanks to her battle hardened discipline that she was able to remember who she was and what she was there to do, and even that was barely enough to hold her being together.

Needless to say, things had really picked up after their dance. The last thing the incognito Black Knight remembered was that after some conversation and their agreeing that they both hated the party, Lelouch led her through the Grand Hall's kitchen area and through a back exit where his limo had been conveniently parked, and from there it was a quick drive to Aries Palace. Then at some point after they entered the safety of the palace, casual conversation was put aside for more physical contact, as the Black Prince had somehow drawn Kallen into what she would later come to realize was her first kiss. It was from there that things got blurry for the Red Dragoness; while one part of Kallen, at first anyway, cried out for her to reject the advance before things got out of hand, something else in her kept her from that action, and so she returned the kiss with all her power. Soon, one kiss became multiple kisses, hands that embraced began to wander across the other's form, and before Kallen's mind could comprehend what was happening, she and her partner were in the master bedroom with her back against the mattress.

In spite of what was happening, Kallen seemingly welcomed the contact, purring contentedly as Lelouch stroked her back and her sides while she drew him closer. Things were even more compounded by how much of a gentleman Lelouch was being, as he was not removing any of her clothing or touching her in her private areas. Instead, he seemed content enough to hold her and treat her with gentleness until she apparently gave him permission one way or another to go further.

_Incredible…_ she managed to think in the midst of the kisses, feeling the heat within continue to grow and her thoughts turned to static. Once more, it took all of her willpower to remember what she was there for to begin with, and when she was able to put together any thought, Kallen wondered about letting things continue forward, if only for a bit longer.

Unfortunately, the moment came to an abrupt end when she heard the sound of an miniature electron battery activating, as well the firm twin barrels of an antique Derringer pushed against her side. When she opened her eyes again, she saw Lelouch's eyes narrowed down at her, with any form of affection now replaced with a cold, serious gaze that made her heart freeze and her mouth hang open in shock. "I don't understand…"

"Let's move past the pretenses, shall we?" Lelouch said, drawing back off the bed with his gun still trained on her. After he was a fair distance from her, he spoke again. "Now, I want to know who you really are and what you want with me."

"I already told you, I'm Baroness…" Kallen tried to explain, maintaining her sickly guise despite the change of situation.

"Please." Lelouch stopped her in midsentence. "You may look Britannian and you may act the part, but you are certainly not who you say you are. I know, from the way you danced tonight to the physical tone of your body to the sudden abundance of energy you displayed just now. You're far from the frail noblewoman you pretend to be."

Upon hearing those words, Kallen felt her heart suddenly grow thin and die as she realized the truth: he had somehow come onto her, and all of his actions had been his testing her, making sure she was who he thought she was. Deep down, Kallen felt hurt by that realization, perhaps even more than the fact she had been caught, but at the same time she knew she should have expected it from Lelouch. "You mean… you were leading me on throughout the party…"

"No more than you have been." Lelouch shot back, not at all pleased. "You're much too fit for your cover, and your movements are too precise to be a mere civilian, nobility or otherwise. I can only summarize that you've had military training."

"…That's…" Kallen stuttered while trying to come up with an answer. Her character was starting to slip now that she had been found out.

"You know Britannian tradition and protocol, which means you've at least been educated as one, but something inside tells me you're not a true Britannian, much less a soldier for the Crown." Lelouch continued to press further. "So who are you really? EU perhaps? If so, then what agency? Abwehr? SD? Deuxieme? GRU? Please, tell me when I guess right or just save me the trouble and give a straight answer."

"It's not what you think…!" Kallen stammered again, now fully aware and mind racing to come up with a way to disarm him. Unfortunately, he was too far away to get off a direct attack and Kallen's only weapon was out of reach. "I'm not with the EU."

"No? Well that doesn't leave too many other explanations, now does it?" Lelouch chided for a moment. "Very well, then let's skip to my next question: what do you want with me?"

"I…" Kallen tried to think, but was finding it difficult from her position. "I'm not here to kill you."

"I can believe that. You've had a fair amount of opportunity to do so." Lelouch confirmed. "But that still doesn't answer my question. Again, what do you want with me?"

"You wouldn't understand." Kallen exclaimed, starting to rise up a bit from the bed. "You've been imprisoned Lelouch, and you don't even know it. You've been brainwashed by the Emperor into believing you're a loyal Prince of Britannia when in reality you hate this country, to the point you led a revolution against it…"

"A revolution?" Lelouch let out, his firm voice now beginning to quiver. He wanted to believe she was lying, especially with how farfetched her explanation was to the prince's sense of logic, but somewhere inside, he knew she was being truthful somehow. "That's impossible. Why would I want to destroy my own country?"

"Because it _isn't_ your country. Britannia betrayed you and exiled you to a foreign land as a political prisoner." Kallen spoke softly, seeing that the prince was willing to listen. "You don't remember because they don't want you to. Your father and Suzaku Kururugi."

"Suzaku?" Lelouch said out loud, again feeling this was the truth somehow. "…What does he have to do with this?"

"More than you believe." Kallen said, while mentally keeping in check the anger she felt toward that man for what he had done, both to their people and to Lelouch. "He's the reason why you're imprisoned in this façade, as well as continuing to be your prison guard. He is your enemy, Lelouch, even if he doesn't seem like it."

"And you're not?" Lelouch snarled, suddenly starting to lose edge.

"No, I'm not." Kallen said with calming reassurance. "I am your loyal subordinate and follower, and I have come here to free you and return you to your rightful place as our leader… Zero."

The mention of that very name with that very voice was like a beam of light suddenly shining through the darkness. Suddenly, the name seemed to echo through his mind and the images multiplied by the hundreds, as he began to recall more and more things that felt both foreign and familiar to him. Now instead of just her, he saw multiple soldiers in distinctive black uniforms, assorted knightmares that ranged from what looked like customized _Glasgows_ to units similar to what he saw over the Atlantic, a green haired woman dressed in prison clothes with a distinctive mark on her forehead, and what could only be the _Lancelot_ charging at him for the kill. Yet above all of them, he saw _her_ once more, standing beside him, waiting for his orders, with the red knightmare standing in the background.

Out of reflex Lelouch took a step back, and then another, and another, until he was nearly back toward the door. Sweat poured down from his face, his eyes wavering and his arm shaking almost violently. Kallen, for her part, wasn't sure if this was the opportunity she wanted or not, because he could still fire a shot at her. But at the same time, she found herself being more concerned about Lelouch and whatever it was he was feeling than for her own safety.

And that's when everything went black for the prince. Suddenly growing limp, complete with his arm falling to his side and dropping the gun, Lelouch collapsed onto the ground, revealing a new arrival standing behind him. The arrival, clearly a maid, held her hand with all fingers straightened, fashioned toward a karate chop.

"I apologize for my tardiness, Major." 'Sarah Beckett' acknowledged the Black Knight.

It didn't take much for Kallen to connect the dots and realize who she was. "Better late than never I suppose, Sayoko."

The maid nodded, then reached up and removed her biomechanical mask, revealing the Japanese face and hazel colored eyes of Sayoko Shinozaki. Likewise, she also removed her blonde wig to reveal her real hair, colored black, which she immediately covered with the maid hat. "He should be out for a few hours, more than enough time to move him."

Kallen nodded and got up off the bed, walking up to where Lelouch's body laid. Upon looking at it, Kallen then pulled up her right sleeve to reveal a tiny syringe in an arm holster. _I guess I won't be needing this after all._

"The knightmare hangar is on the west wing. I can confirm that the _Gawain_ is present there." Sayoko reported.

"Any guards?" Kallen asked while pulling her sleeve back up and taking off her shoes. It would be easier for her to move around without the high heels.

"Only along the outside perimeter. His Highness graciously gave the rest of the household staff the evening off." Sayoko said.

"Good. That will make things much easier." Kallen said, as she picked Lelouch's body up and slung his left arm over her shoulders. Sayoko aided her by picking up the prince's opposite arm. "Do you have an exit for yourself?"

"I have a VTOL on the roof of the palace, which I will be using to return to the _Ikaruga_. Unfortunately, it only has room for a single pilot, so I'm afraid you will have to take him with you in the _Gawain_." Sayoko confirmed with a nod.

"Will you be alright flying out of here like that? There's going to be more than just fireworks out there in a few minutes..." Kallen wondered.

"I may not be as skilled of a pilot as you Major, but I can fend for myself." Sayoko replied.

Kallen nodded in response, and then hefted the unconscious Lelouch one last time for good luck. "In that case, there's nothing left for us to do but bring our King home."

* * *

"Once again, I am truly sorry Sir Kururugi." spoke the guard from behind the Aries Palace gate while trying to hold back his annoyance. "But as I keep informing you, His Highness is not willing to see anyone at this time. You will have better luck catching him tomorrow."

_By then it will be too late you fool._ Suzaku sneered at the guard with displeasure. He didn't care if the poor man was having a bad night of having to stand guard while the rest of Pendragon partied around him, he needed to get to Lelouch before the worst was to happen. "And as _I_ keep repeating to _you_, this is a grave matter I must bring up with His Highness, something that cannot simply wait until tomorrow. Timing is of the essence."

"I'm sure it is." the guard replied with an expression that said just the opposite. "But milord has given me direct orders not to be disturbed by anyone short of the Emperor, and I'm afraid that includes Knights of the Round like yourself."

"Are you sure about that?" Suzaku inquired, pretending to sound disbelieving while holding onto his "angry face" toward the guard, hoping the man would break at some point. He hated to admit it, but it would likely take the Emperor's gaze to move this unnamed sentry. "It doesn't sound like the Prince to keep his friends away like that."

"That's because he was in _good_ company when he returned. Specifically of the redheaded variety." the guard explained, putting much emphasis on the "good" as he spoke out. "And with respect to you, Sir Kururugi, I do not think even _you_ would want to be disturbed when accompanying a beautiful woman into your own domain."

Suzaku's sneer deepened in response. _You obviously have not heard of my reputation._ "That's beside the point. If you don't hurry and let me in, I believe His Highness will fall into great peril before anything can be done!"

"Right…" the guard tapped the bars as he spoke. "A man such as the Black Prince of Britannia falling victim to a woman who couldn't possibly harm a moth. On the other hand, that does sound like a rather fun evening in itself."

"History has shown over and over that even the strongest can fall to the charms of a beautiful woman." Suzaku pointed out.

"Something I'm sure milord is perfectly aware of, the history buff that he is." the guard returned with equal force. "Now once again, Sir Kururugi, I must ask you to leave as His Highness is _not willing to see anyone at this time_."

After that statement, Suzaku was seriously beginning to lose any restraint that kept him from beating the guard within an inch of his miserable life and forcing his way into the palace to save his friend from the succubus he had unconsciously brought into his midst. However, before he could do or say anything else, a new sound echoed through the air, one that Suzaku and the guard both recognized almost too easily, but until that night had never expected to hear in Pendragon. It was an air raid siren, and its pitch was such that no corner of the city was spared from its shrill echo.

_No!_ Suzaku's eyes bulged as he realized what was going to happen.

"What's happening?" the guard looked up in the air, fear and confusion evident on him as blood on a freshly used guillotine blade.

"Isn't it obvious!?" Suzaku replied sharply, annoyance toward the guard now replaced with hurriedness. "They're here to liberate their leader…"

"What? Who are 'they'?" the guard demanded, fear growing.

"…the Black Knights." Suzaku replied with deathly calm, before leaping over the gate with a single great jump, one that would have been impossible for any other human being besides himself. Upon landing on the other side, he immediately twisted and brought his right heel into the guard's head, subduing him before any other exchange could follow. After he saw the guard fall to his side unconscious, Suzaku turned around and ran towards Aries, ready and willing to deal with whatever enemy lurked within the palace.

_I hope I'm not too late…_ Suzaku thought after drawing his Browning L105A1 and quickly activated the battery, which automatically placed a .45ACP round into the firing chamber.

* * *

**Cornwallis Army Base**  
**Pendragon, Holy Britannian Empire  
March 25, 2025 a.t.b.**

"Please listen to me Your Highness! I really do not think it is wise for you to go out into battle at this time…" spoke Gilbert G.P. Guilford, doing his best to hurry along beside the Princess he served loyally.

Cornelia leered at her knight from the side as she made her way down the hangar corridor, past the other knightmares and their pilots as they prepared for the coming battle. "Guilford, in all your years of service to me, what makes you think I will simply cower in a shelter while our capital is laid siege by an enemy force?"

"I do not doubt you will to fight milady, but it has been eight years since you've participated in actual battle…" Guilford stammered.

"And you believe my skills have atrophied since Area 11?" Cornelia inquired rather menacingly.

The knight was quite hesitant in his answer. "…I cannot say, but it's a possibility that you are not on the level you used to be."

"Then what better way to get back into the game than now?" Cornelia replied, just as they approached Guilford's personal _Gloucester_. "Besides, this will also be the first active combat sortie of Britannia's eighth generation knightmare frame. The engineers have been persisting for live combat tests, so again this is the most opportune time."

"But Your Highness, we're going into this battle practically blindfolded, as we have yet to even identify the enemy. You could be placing your life in needless danger." Guilford exclaimed, still holding his own despite the pressure his princess was putting on him.

"I appreciate your concern for my life Guilford, but it is mine to do with as I will, including risking it in the heat of battle." Cornelia stated, her voice speaking in an almost surreal finality that made her knight stir uncomfortably. She noticed this, but chose to ignore it. "Now get in your _Gloucester_ and be ready. I expect you and this battalion to be airborne in the next three minutes."

If there was one unique trait that Cornelia possessed that set her apart from the rest of her kin, it was that she did not need to raise her voice to show her displeasure or that she would not be dissuaded. Or at times, both. Guilford, being Cornelia's knight, knew this all too well and thus did not stick around to keep up his valiant attempts to keep his liege out of battle. Instead he bolted toward his machine, leaving Cornelia alone to make her trek.

Cornelia stood there for a minute to make sure Guilford made it to his machine, and then continued further toward her own. In spite of the sounds that meshed together in the hangar from the mechanics performing finishing touches on the different knightmares, she felt as if each of her own footsteps were echoing, much like as if she had been walking down a long, narrow hall. It was the kind of sound one expected from a prisoner on death row marching toward the gallows or a hospital doctor walking toward the emergency room, the kind of sound that one did not specifically "hear", but instead "felt". And despite her iron will, those footsteps cast a dark shadow over Cornelia's mind, and for a brief moment she wondered if she was indeed marching toward her own death.

It had been eight years since Area 11. Eight years since Euphemia had died after mysteriously going into a murderous rage at her own public rally, murdered by the revolutionary known as Zero to end her uncharacteristic and violent behavior. And it was also eight years since she confronted Zero directly to avenge her beloved sister, only to suffer a crushing defeat and to learn perhaps the most horrifying truth that was possible…

Cornelia didn't want to think about that last part, not now. Instead, she focused on the dilemma Guilford had brought up to her: since that event eight years ago, Cornelia had not once entered battle. After being rescued just before Area 11's destruction, she could not bring it upon herself to lead Britannia's armies against their enemies, and so withdrew herself from the frontlines. This was symbolized by her resigning her original post as Chief General of the Imperial Army, passing that down to her younger brother, Fourth Prince Horatio lon Britannia, and then withdrawing herself to commanding the Imperial Guard, the Emperor's personal bodyguard forces, which had defended the throne since the time of Ricardo I. From that time forward, she remained in her self-appointed exile in the capital while a new war between Britannia and its enemies erupted and only participating in mock battles held by the Guard's sub-units.

But despite her best efforts, true combat would soon embrace the capital for the first time in entire centuries, and the warrior within kept her from ignoring the call to battle.

As she finally reached her machine, she took a moment to scan over the impressive sight of her forces. While only a fraction of the Guard's entire strength, the hangar of her personal sub-unit, the 1st Imperial Panzer Guards, collectively known as "The Emperor's Lancers", was filled with waiting maroon colored _Gloucesters_ and pilots willing to go into battle to defend their Emperor and their country, even when many of them had far less combat experience than her. Likewise, though the majority of her subordinates had died during the Devastation of Japan, she still had Guilford and a few battle worn troops that had been with her since the beginning.

And then she turned back to her own machine, which was an entirely different beast from the arguably antiquated fifth generation knightmares that occupied most of the hangar, finalized by Cornelia's personal colors of deep purple and gold. If there had been one major advantage of being part of the Imperial Guard, it was that they were permanently at the top of the logistics train, always being given the best equipment available. In turn, while Cornelia did not forget that no high level piece of technology could ever replace skill and experience, she was not afraid to admit that she enjoyed being given the best toys to play with in the meantime, including Britannia's very first eighth generation knightmare frame.

With an overall design that was very much like its _Lancelot_ ancestor, but altered accordingly to make it unique enough to stand out on its own, the _Vincent_ was truly a one of a kind knightmare. Never had Cornelia piloted such a machine full of strength and grace, and while not quite as powerful as the seventh generation knightmares that the Knights of the Round all used, she was quite sure that it would be able to dominate any opponent it faced with ease. And the best part was her father the Emperor had personally ordered its mass production, thus ensuring Britannia would remain the dominant military power of the world even into the next generation.

But that was for another time to consider. If the reports had been accurate, the enemy force was comprised of under a hundred knightmares, all of which were unidentifiable at this time. While nowhere near enough to fight the bulk of Britannia's military, the enemy's intent was merely to lay siege to Pendragon, and so had enough of a force to challenge its defenses. On the other end of the spectrum, this would be the first true test for many of the city's loyal defenders, and without any knowledge of the enemy's identity, Cornelia had no way to ascertain just how her forces would hold out against them. It was truly a battle of epic proportions in the making, coupled by the fact it was happening in the last place anyone would have suspected. And yet, the Britannians would move out to meet them nonetheless.

_'Forward the Light Brigade!'…_ Cornelia thought, mentally quoting an old poem that her mother used to recite to her as a child. _Was there a man dismayed? Not tho' the soldiers knew, Someone had blundered… Theirs not to make reply; Theirs not to reason why; Theirs but to do and die… Into the valley of Death, Rode the six hundred._

Now feeling a renewed sense of vigor, she entered the _Vincent_ and began the power up sequence. Whatever happened, this would truly be one Day of the Founding that neither Cornelia nor the Holy Britannian Empire in its entirety would ever forget.

* * *

Kyoshiro Tohdoh could not resist the urge to grin as he saw the lights of Pendragon grow closer in his monitors. By now the fireworks had long ceased, and Tohdoh imagined that some form of defense was being prepared to intercept them, but one fact remained: the Britannians were caught totally off guard by the sudden advance on their capital. And for that reason, the normally stoic "Tohdoh of Miracles" allowed himself to smile dominantly, as he lead his legion onto their raid.

_I never dreamed we would fight Britannia at its very heart._ Tohdoh thought with a certain satisfaction. It felt almost like a dream to him, one that his kind all collectively shared; after eight years in hiding and isolation from the rest of the world, the Japanese had finally come to claim their due against Britannia. While their assembled force wouldn't be enough to siege Pendragon entirely, Tohdoh took solace in the fact that, should the main objective of the raid be completed, he and his people would be able to ravage their enemies further in the future. Aside from that, Tohdoh didn't think he would have been satisfied if he could end things here and now with the destruction of the Imperial Capital. Deep down, the General wanted Britannia to suffer the same despair and anguish that Japan had suffered for seven years under their occupation, right before it was destroyed in that hellish firestorm. Naturally, he was quite intent to see that happen.

But at the same time, Tohdoh would not lower himself or his troops to the level of his enemies, though he knew a number of them wanted _all_ Britannians to pay, including the ones who could not fight against them. As such, he switched to the Black Knights' main frequency. "Shogun One to all units, we are now in final approach of the mission area. Remember this mission is meant to be a controlled strike, not an uneven massacre. Therefore collateral damage is acceptable; genocide is _not_. Remain focused upon your objectives and the mission parameters; all other priorities are secondary to victory! Shogun One out."

No sooner did he end that message did his sensors pick up incoming knightmare frames in the distance, in much higher numbers than the Black Knights force. However, as had been assessed before, the enemy knightmares were all fifth generation types, hardly a match for the eighth generation _Akatsuki_ or Tohdoh's own _Zangetsu_. Tohdoh's grin increased as he and his compatriots all drew their respective swords from left hip mounted scabbards, much in a similar fashion to ancient samurai warriors as they charged into the awaiting battlefield.

"They're closing fast General Tohdoh." Asahina said from the left.

"I can see that, _Shinden One_." Tohdoh replied just as quickly, putting some emphasis on Asahina's callsign to send an underlying message: no using names over the radio. Nonetheless, he allowed some measure of spirit to show in his next message. "Black Knights, the time of our vengeance is now. _REMEMBER JAPAN!_"

"_**REMEMBER JAPAN!**_" the Black Knights cried out as one before diving headlong into the enemy formation, their chain swords brandished and their bloodlust rising. What followed could only be described by one word: desolation.

Seidotou in hand, much like it had been during the Black Rebellion, Tohdoh had the _Zangetsu_ race past the other knightmares and into the wake, rocket slashing two _Sutherlands_ as he passed without breaking from his flight path. A mixture of machine gun fire, rifle launched grenades, cannon shells and even chaos mines were thrown at him, but he dodged all of it with a practiced ease. Following a break in the attacks against him, he twisted his knightmare around and returned fire with both his shoulder mounted machine cannons, spraying fire across three more _Sutherlands_ in the process. And when his sixth victim came charging from the right to strike him with its stun tonfas, Tohdoh simply performed a midair flip to let the enemy unit pass beneath him, before he slashed the exposed cockpit with his sword.

"Foolish Britannians. Before this night is done, I will make you all remember the power of the _Zangetsu_!" Tohdoh called out to his foes, pride for his machine beaming while he slew his enemies. Though not too far removed from its younger _Akatsuki_ siblings, Tohdoh's personalized knightmare was at the same time a totally different monster to contend with, as its performance was closer to that of seventh generation machines such as the _Guren_ than anything else. After all, Tohdoh had the _Zangetsu_ specially customized for his desire to battle Suzaku Kururugi and the upgraded _Lancelot_, and compared to that pair, the present enemies gathered were little more than mackerel to a hungry bear.

Seeing another group of enemies begin to close in on his position, Tohdoh brought the thrusters on the knightmare frame's air glide wing system to full burn, trying to close the distance before the Britannians bracketed him and turned him into raining scraps of black metal. Three other _Akatsukis_, two standard models and one of the _Jikisanshiyo_ command units, angled in off his flanks and attempted to keep up, though the _Zangetsu_ was faster than any of them. One was snuffed out by an incoming barrage, and the _Jikisanshiyo_ lost its left arm and the mounted hand gun, but Tohdoh's knightmare remained untouched by Britannia's fury.

When he reached a certain range, he fired another barrage from his machine cannons straight into the _Gloucester_ that was leading the charge, and watched in satisfaction as several more enemy knightmares were destroyed as well. Seeing the fate of their comrades, the remaining units broke formation and tried to strafe around Tohdoh and his accompanying force, but they were not fast enough to evade the _Akatsukis_ and their katen yaibatous. While they dispatched their hapless victims, Tohdoh concentrated on his own, slashing his seidotou across a _Sutherland_'s midrift. The cockpit block ejected soon enough, allowing the pilot to escape before the chassis turned into a fireball.

The warning Tohdoh's sensors beeped next caused him to automatically choose his next victim. From the rear, a _Gloucester_ came charging at him with one of their grandiose golden lances, intent on driving it straight through the _Zangetsu_'s back. Rather than perform a full maneuver, Tohdoh simply dropped his knightmare a few meters in altitude and let the charging Britannian machine pass over him.

"_Baka._" Tohdoh exhaled in disappointment. Not wanting to waste any more energy than necessary on a weak-minded foe, he simply leveled his machine cannons and riddled the _Gloucester_ across its own back. The burst destroyed the enemy machine's float unit and possibly even killed the pilot, as it spiraled away out of control to inevitably crash upon the ground below. Silently hoping that it would not kill any civilians upon its landing, Tohdoh returned to his flight pattern from his pause, just in time to see another _Gloucester_ flash past in front of him, making a run on a group of _Akatsukis_ belonging to 2nd Squadron. He shot after it like the _shinigami_ himself, the _Zangetsu_ more than capable of catching up before the overconfident Britannian could strike. With another rocket assisted slash, he split the _Gloucester_ right across its cockpit block and upper torso, which also struck the superconductor drive, causing it go critical instantly. Pausing only briefly to listen to the resulting explosion behind him, he then put more speed into his unit.

Again, Tohdoh's sensors went off in distress, and he turned his machine's head to see why. He smiled at what he saw.

Indeed, more enemy knightmares were just now entering the battle, possibly a full battalion or two. Fortunately, none of them looked to be machines belonging to Knights of the Round, but out of the group, there was one unit that stood out. Upon magnifying the image, Tohdoh saw that it resembled the _Lancelot_ passively, and it was colored in an almost obnoxious combination of regal purple and gold.

Tohdoh's smile grew at the image of that machine. The only thing it was missing was a pair of elongated wing-like antennae upon its head. _So the Witch has come out to play…_

"They've brought out a _Lancelot_ wannabe, Shogun One." Urabe spoke up just as his _Akatsuki Jikisanshiyo_ pulled up next to the _Zangetsu_. "And is it me or are those colors awfully familiar?"

"I'm inclined to agree Tenrai One." Tohdoh acknowledged. "Take your squadron and flank that formation. I will deal with _Majohime_ myself."

Putting enough power to the air glide wing system that it sounded like the _Zangetsu_ actually shrieked in protest at the strain, Tohdoh charged ahead while Urabe broke off to lead his squadron against the incoming knightmares. Upon the Black Knight's approach, the Britannian frames fanned out to give each other space to fire upon him without hitting each other, yet Tohdoh continued to rocket through their formation while evading machine gun rounds and kinetic shells. Any rookie would have broken off from his flight path and tried shooting back at the attackers, but the General was a man of fierce discipline when it came to his prey; he _never_ broke off pursuit of the target unless it was necessary for him to do so.

His advance did not go unnoticed. The purple machine, which if Tohdoh remembered right the Britannians had dubbed the _Vincent_, leveled its firearm at him and released a series of emerald colored shots to halt his flight. Tohdoh gritted his teeth as he evaded, immediately recognizing the weapon; the _Vincent_ had apparently inherited its own type of VARIS rifle from the _Lancelot_. Regardless however, he was quick enough to bring about his machine's radiant wave shield system to deflect the incoming shots, and then respond in kind with his machine cannons to fire back.

With random firepower dancing between them, both Japanese and Britannian knightmares danced amidst the skies with a certain technique that was quite lacking in their compatriots. The _Vincent_ charged in close to launch a burst shot from its VARIS, which Tohdoh evaded and countered by firing his guns at near point blank range. The Black Knight General was in luck there, as the _Vincent_ was apparently not being equipped with "Blaze Luminous", thus forcing it to barrel roll and evade the burst while launching off its hip mounted slash harkens in the process, which the _Zangetsu_ deflected by raising its radiant wave shield once more. Still remaining close, Tohdoh let loose another barrage, but his opponent shot up further in altitude, and the bullets past right under the enemy machine's leg only to hit an unfortunate _Sutherland_ further back.

As the _Sutherland_ exploded and briefly eclipsed the nearby air in a flash of light, the two frames circled each other like gladiators, as each pilot weighed the other. It was at that point that Tohdoh decided to finally break the ice and open broad communications. "We have faced each other in battle many times before, but this is the first time we've fought directly, isn't it Cornelia-_hime_?"

"Kyoshiro Tohdoh." Cornelia replied with a mixture of venom and curiosity, as she placed her VARIS on the _Vincent_'s rear storage racket. "I should have known better than to believe you Elevens would stay dead."

"_Japanese_." Tohdoh corrected with a fair amount of his own animosity. "And unfortunately for you, we were never dead. And we have not forgotten, nor forgiven, your crimes against us and the Earth."

Cornelia laughed bitterly. "If you are expecting an apology, I'm afraid you will be disappointed…"

With that, twin lances folded out from underneath the _Vincent_'s arms, to which the machine unhinged and joined together at the ends to create a double lance, with both blades flashing red as their Maser Vibration properties engaged. After twirling it around overhead in a grand display, Cornelia angled one of the blades at the _Zangetsu_.

"You have only doomed yourselves by coming here, Tohdoh!" Cornelia stated with her legendary bellow. "In a matter of minutes, the sky will be filled with reinforcements from all directions, and you will have no escape from Britannia's wrath!"

"Is that supposed to frighten me?" Tohdoh replied back as he brought the seidotou up once more.

Cornelia continued in spite of her opponent's insolence. "As the commander of Pendragon's defenses, I thereby give you two options: surrender now and avoid destruction, or pray to whatever God you worship for a miracle." she stated with full confidence. "What say you, Eleven?"

Tohdoh's response took the form of a cool, angled grin that was akin to a shark's smile. "…You seem to forget, 'Your Highness': I perform my own miracles without the aid of a God."

"Very well then." Cornelia let out, as she had known that would be the reply. She then charged forward with the full force of her knightmare's power. "Then let that be your epitaph, fool!"

Tohdoh also charged with a battle howl, and their respective blades soon met with a resounding metallic ring.

* * *

Gritting his teeth to the point of pain, Guilford drove his lance through one of the enemy knightmares' cockpits, its golden tip emerging from the opposite end covered in blood. As with every other one of his victims, he felt no enjoyment or satisfaction at his kill, only the sense that he was doing his job correctly. Without a second thought, he withdrew the lance and let the enemy knightmare explode.

One by one, bolts high-velocity lead and rockets came streaking towards him, but with a practiced hand he evaded these attacks easily. Although close to becoming outdated, his personalized _Gloucester_ was still as fast as ever, and it responded to Guilford's commands with the utmost efficiency. And no matter who or what he was fighting, Guilford knew his skill would more than make up for the technology gap.

Switching over to his assault rifle with his unit's left hand while his right retained the lance, he sprayed two incoming enemy knightmares with his own bullets. One managed to get out of the line of fire, but the other one was ripped apart in the volley and eventually exploded. Then putting all the force he could muster into his float unit, Guilford spun around and used the weight of his lance to knock the chain sword away from the enemy unit that was trying to sneak behind him, before finishing it off with the _Gloucester_'s slash harkens.

_These can only be the Black Knights._ Guilford summarized in his mind solemnly as he watched the resulting explosion. Indeed, everything from their tactics, their preference for melee combat, and even the design of their knightmares all but shouted out that this force was the very same that Guilford and his comrades had fought against in Area 11, the same force that had caused the Black Rebellion. That realization made Guilford actually feel sympathetic; while he did not know how they managed to survive the destruction of their homeland, he could understand their drive for revenge against Britannia, and he could not hold any grudge against them for it.

However, that did not take away from Guilford's own desire to fight. No matter what had happened in the past, he was still a knight loyal to Britannia, and he would make his homeland's enemies pay for their belligerence against the Empire. With that determination he charged forward in his _Gloucester_ in search of new prey, and soon came across more of those _Gekka_-like dark colored knightmares attacking some _Sutherlands_ from the 114th Battalion. As his enemy was preoccupied, Guilford took the opportunity for a surprise attack, charging in and driving his lance through two knightmares at once, then swinging the lance overhead to shake them away much like a berserker.

His sharper than average peripheral vision catching something, Guilford saw one of the more heavily damaged enemy knightmares flying head long at him, even though it was weaponless. Realizing quickly that the enemy was attempting a kamikaze run, Guilford put his machine into evasive action, managing to fly back before the enemy knightmare self-detonated. "_**REMEMBER JAPAN!**_" the pilot called out over the open channel before he was reduced to vapor.

While Guilford was fast enough to avoid the main attack, he hadn't moved far enough back to avoid the raining shards, which were embedded deeply into the _Gloucester_'s frame. There seemed to not be an area that had not gotten punctured, but as Guilford saw from the diagnostic, the damage wasn't enough to keep him out of the fight.

And it was a good thing to, as Guilford looked over, he saw Cornelia's _Vincent_ fighting in a vicious melee against another knightmare. One that Guilford recognized from the red hair-like appendages that came off the back of the head and the type of sword it was using.

_That's Tohdoh!_ Guilford's mind cried out in realization. While Cornelia seemed to be holding her own, Guilford still could not risk his Princess dying from any kind of rustiness she had accumulated over the last eight years. Thus he altered his flight path and charged once more, lance poised to strike. "Princess, I'm moving to support you!"

And then out of nowhere, a new voice intervened. _"You should worry about your own hide, Guilford!"_

"What!?" Guilford exclaimed in surprise, just as his sensors gave off a new warning. Eight new knightmares were charging toward his position from behind, all at a far greater velocity than the ones he had faced so far.

Turning the _Gloucester_ around, he quickly moved into a zig-zagging maneuvering pattern as the eleven knightmares flew around him. Immediately Guilford recognized them as _Gurens_, right down to their crimson colors; however, they appeared fairly different from the one he knew from Area 11. In a synchronized effort they encircled him and let loose a hail of beams and projectiles while others charged with their knives, all with the ferocity of a beast pack. Guilford struggled to evade all of the radiant wave fire and grenade shots, especially with the amount of damage his machine had taken up to that point.

And then one of the enemy units flew out of formation and smashed its own surger claw against Guilford's lance, grasping it.

"I will deal with this one myself." that voice spoke once again, this time to its subordinates. "The rest of you aid 3rd Squadron in bringing down Cornelia's lapdogs."

"That voice…" Guilford muttered out loud as the other knightmares broke off, leaving just the one. It was an older and deeper voice, but it was still one he recognized. "…Alfred?"

The enemy knightmare responded by engaging its surger and boiling the lance from end to end, forcing Guilford to fly back and abandon it before it exploded. Taking advantage, the _Guren_-type leaped overhead with its fork knife drawn, causing Guilford to quickly drawing his left MVS and parry the slash attack.

It was then that a video image appeared in Guilford's monitor, displaying an older Alfred G. Darlton from the man Guilford remembered, clad in a red Black Knights pilot suit and wearing the battle visor of the Glaston Knights. "Surprising, you actually remember me. And here I thought all of Britannia had forgotten my brothers and I…_"_

He made a follow up attack of two overhead cuts, which Guilford was again only barely able to deflect. _"…even though we sacrificed everything in its name!"_

"Why are you working with the Black Knights, Alfred!?" Guilford demanded in the middle of their battle.

"Isn't it obvious, Guilford!?" Alfred replied sharply, as he kept Guilford on the defensive. "You and the rest of the Empire abandoned us to die with Area 11, no, Japan! What did you expect would happen if we survived!?"

"I don't know, but I never thought you of all people would betray your homeland by joining the ranks of the enemy!" Guilford spoke out, at the same time pushing more toward mounting his own offensive, though Alfred's constant attacks were keeping him from doing that. "Andreas Darlton would be ashamed if he saw you now!"

"_Do _not_ drag his name into this!_" Alfred roared, refusing to give Guilford any leeway. "I don't know what my father wanted of me, but he would never have supported what you bastards did that day!"

The enemy knightmare then kicked the _Gloucester_ back, creating an opening for Alfred to finish it off. However, Guilford was too quick for that, drawing the second MVS and holding back what would have been the finishing blow. "Britannia has done a lot of terrible things in the past Guilford, but none of that can compare to _destroying an entire race_! That alongside the Britannians who were also stranded, the same people we both swore oaths to protect!"

"That's…" Guilford said, trying to find something to respond with, even when in his heart he knew that Alfred was correct.

"Do you think you will be forgiven, Guilford!?" Alfred stated, slashing at the _Gloucester_'s waist. "Do you think God will show mercy toward this country, in spite of all that has been done!?"

"I don't know!" Guilford shouted, before he slapped Alfred's knife away and flew back a few meters in an attempt to put some space between him and his opponent. However, Alfred pursued him relentlessly, thus turning their duel into a running swordfight. Along with age, the former Glaston Knight had also gained improved skills, totally different from the soldier that Guilford fought alongside with in Area 11.

"I will not try to deny or defend it." Guilford continued on in the midst of their battle. "What we did in Area 11 was beyond forgiveness, whether by the world's judgment or by God's. But regardless, the oaths we swore also kept us bound by loyalty to our country and our Emperor, no matter what."

"That oath became worthless to myself and my comrades when our country and our Emperor abandoned us to die." Alfred stated, still retaining some hostility.

Guilford acknowledged that with a nod, knowing inside that if the order had not come for his evacuation as well, he would have likely been there beside Alfred. "But as I am still a Knight of the Empire and Princess Cornelia, I still hold my oath with value. Therefore, I cannot and will not go back upon it so long as I live!"

Alfred laughed at that declaration, and increased the ferocity of his attacks even further. "In that case, let's see where this ends, Guilford!"

Guilford could not reply with words, but only by bringing up his sword to strike back.

* * *

**Aries Palace  
Pendragon, Holy Britannian Empire  
March 25, 2025 a.t.b.**

As fast as they could move with their captive, Kallen and Sayoko tore through the halls of the palace, dead set on the hangar bay at the western end of the estate. While it was difficult to move quickly while holding onto an unconscious member of royalty between them, the two members of the Black Knights were making some impressive time regardless.

_Another reason to hate Britannians: their oversized housing for their equally oversized egos._ Kallen thought with distaste, getting truly annoyed with the many rooms and hallways that she had to go through just to get from one end of the palace to the other. At the very least she knew she was past the main hall and several of the guest bedrooms, so she knew that they had traveled some distance. However, Kallen wasn't worried about the effort needed to escape at this point: rather, it was the time limit she had that was her main concern now.

Already both the Black Knight ace and maid-_kunoichi_ could hear the sound of explosions and gunfire from the outside, meaning that the Black Knights had already begun the diversion. While Kallen was confident in her piloting skills that she could wade through the chaos and get back to the _Ikaruga_, even though she would be piloting a knightmare that she was not familiar with, the Red Dragoness also knew that her comrades would not be able to continue the battle for long. Though they were equipped with the latest eighth generation knightmares and many of the _Ikaruga_'s pilots were veterans from the Black Rebellion, the Britannians still held the advantage in numbers; they could easily overwhelm the Japanese with just a fraction of their homeland's garrisoned forces.

Thus, Kallen was growing more and more concerned with how long it would take her and Sayoko to make their exit while their friends were fighting against impossible odds, especially with the fact that Lelouch was slowing them down greatly. It was definitely do or die now, but then had it ever not been for the Black Knights?

"Kallen Kouzuki!" a voice rang out from behind as the two were just about to round a corner.

Both of the women instantly recognized the voice, as well as the sound of two gunshots followed by bullets flying overhead. Their energy suddenly doubled by their quickened adrenaline and heartbeats, the two scrambled to round the corner with their cargo before they were shot down. After they verified that there was the edge of a wall between them and the enemy, they stopped for a moment to catch their breaths; this was also done because both knew they had no chance of outrunning their apparent pursuer or any help he had gathered, encumbered as they were.

"I know what you're doing here and I will not allow you to take Lelouch!" Suzaku said, while slowly drawing closer, his pistol trained toward the corner. "If you and your partner choose to surrender, I promise on my honor as the Knight of Seven that no harm will come to either of you!"

Kallen would have made a crack at how much value she put into the word of a traitor, especially one who served genocidal masters, but she knew it would have made little difference. At least she knew it was only him and not a squad of Britannian soldiers from the singular footsteps and the fact Suzaku was hesitant to draw closer. He also likely assumed Kallen had a firearm of her own; she didn't for obvious reasons, but now she wished she did. _I'm going to get C.C. for making me go without my gun…_

"Whatever happens, we cannot allow the Britannians to retake him." Sayoko warned, her voice calm in spite of the circumstances, though if one looked deep enough traces of hesitation could be heard. At the same time, she raised her arm and drew a kunai seemingly out of midair. "Either we bring him back alive or…"

"Can you move him by yourself?" Kallen whispered, purposely interrupting before she could finish.

Sayoko nodded slowly. "Yes, but…"

"I'll hold off the _ranshin_ then." Kallen interrupted once more, voice as hard as the alloy that made her knightmare. "You get Lelouch into the _Gawain_'s cockpit and then make your escape. I'll follow you shortly."

Sayoko wasn't sure what to make of this development. "…I think things would be better if I were the one to hold him, Major."

"No, it's going to be me. This is something I should have done eight years ago at Kamine Island." Kallen stated, as she remember that very standoff with clear regret. As she did, her left eye suddenly turned a seemingly unnatural shade of red. "I ran then. I won't a second time."

For the maid, it was the shift in eye color that drove the point for Kallen's determination more than her words; her comrade was going to fight no matter what. As such she withdrew her kunai, took Lelouch over her shoulders in a fireman's carry, which was a peculiar sight to behold had anyone been around to see it, and ran down the corridor at high speed.

Kallen could only stare dumbfounded as the maid disappeared with the prince. "Damn it Sayoko, next time tell me you can carry him by yourself…"

Meanwhile, Suzaku was still a fair distance away from where his enemies lay, but drawing closer with each step. Though he was the one with the gun, and it was likely that neither Kallen nor her partner, who looked suspiciously like Lelouch and Nunnally's maid from Japan, had any kind of projectile weapon at all, he still preferred caution when dealing with a warrior like the Red Dragoness. Suzaku could still remember their encounter at Kamine Island, and how much of a fight she almost put up in spite of certain handicaps. He was not about to give her any openings to exploit with that very same energy.

That's when the very last thing Suzaku considered happened: without warning Kallen came charging at him from the corner, holding up dress skirt to keep it from hindering her. Acting instinctively, Suzaku aimed the pistol to shoot her in the leg before she could get close, and then fired off a shot. However, just as he pulled the trigger, Kallen banked to the right and the bullet hit nothing but air. The same thing happened when he fired again, only she moved to the opposite side. And again when he fired a third time.

And then before he could wonder just how Kallen was able to dodge bullets so fluidly, she was upon him, kicking the gun out of his hand and sending it out of reach. Once she was satisfied that Suzaku was weaponless, her fist lashed forward, only to be deflected by Suzaku's block.

"Been a while Suzaku." she snarled before launching a devastating high kick that made Suzaku stumble backwards a few meters.

"Surrender, Kallen…" Suzaku started, then assuming a fighting posture while moving in a circular motion, as if he were a fighter in a ring. "I don't know how you plan on restoring Lelouch's memories, but you won't succeed on my watch."

Kallen laughed once as she also circled, while still making sure that Suzaku remained on his side of the imaginary ring. "It's already too late for you to do anything, traitor. By now, my comrade has taken Lelouch to the hangar and is flying him back to our mothership. And even if that's not the case, you still have to get through me to reach her."

The Knight of Seven let out a 'keh' sound behind clenched teeth at that. Indeed, even if he did manage to get by Kallen somehow, he doubted he could reach the other Black Knight before she escaped through one of the knightmares in the hangar with Lelouch in hand. And even then he would have had to fight and defeat her, which he knew he wouldn't be able to do after exhausting himself from dealing with Kallen. No matter how he thought about it, Suzaku couldn't avoid the single conclusion: he had come too late.

"Then, if I can't retrieve Lelouch…" Suzaku said, his even toned voice masking his rising anger. "…I will settle for taking you in!"

"Let's see if you can bastard!" Kallen shot back, fists raised high as Suzaku charged at her.

Upon reaching her, Suzaku leapt into the air and performed his trademark roundhouse kick, which the Black Knight blocked against, as well as the follow up punch combo he delivered to her head, though one or two managed to make it through. Upon the next punch however, Kallen grabbed his arm and then brought her own palm to his head, managing to incapacitate him long enough to send two more punches into his gut, forcing Suzaku to hunch over for breath. However, he recovered quickly and made an uppercut that Kallen could have sworn made her go airborne for a brief second.

Despite that, she recovered fast enough to see Suzaku throw another punch her way, which she avoided, grabbed and performed a jujitsu style flip that was meant to throw her opponent onto his back. Suzaku, however, had other plans, as he altered his fall so that he would land on his feet, though this left him open for a kick that Kallen threw into his back, which made him lurch. To counter he threw his left elbow around to try and strike her on the side of her face, but she managed to jump back before the blow could land.

Sensing an opportunity too good not to exploit, Suzaku launched a triple kick into Kallen's head and torso that dazed her, then followed up with another one of his spin kicks that was meant to knock her on her side. However, whether he put too little strength into the kick or Kallen was just plain tougher than he expected, she managed to retain her footing and her sense of direction, and she fired back with a flurry of punches and palm thrusts. Her speed was so great that Suzaku was barely able to tell one punch apart from the other, and though he managed to deflect the first few, he was soon overwhelmed and sent back into a wall.

Quite literally putting her opponent against the wall, Kallen continued her assault with several more punches and palm thrusts, as well as a kick or two for good measure. Once more Suzaku managed to deflect or evade a few of them, but he could not mount an offensive of his own under the Red Dragoness' pure ferocity. So with little choice, he threw a solid kick into Kallen's torso that made her stumble back and allowed him enough time to get away from the wall.

Another explosion shook the mansion as the two fighters regained their balance and faced each other, both already feeling as though they had been hit by a truck. However, in spite of the pain she felt, Kallen actually smiled venomously back at her opponent. "It's funny. I had been looking forward to fighting you again, and avenging all the Japanese that you killed or helped kill, as well as the loss of our homeland. But after tonight…"

Kallen's smile turned into a sneer as she drew closer to Suzaku. "…the thing I want to make you pay for the most is forcing Lelouch into this façade!"

Suzaku snarled back with contempt, before spitting up some blood. "How can you still be willing to follow him, after everything he's done to our people…? It was because of Zero that the Japanese were wiped out!"

That was enough for Kallen to throw another fist at Suzaku, which he managed to block, but not the headbutt that followed. As he stumbled back with stars flashing in his eyes, Kallen responded. "Don't kid yourself Suzaku. It was because of Britannia that Japan was destroyed. All Zero ever did was give us a fighting chance…!"

Another hook, this one actually landing against Suzaku's cheek. "…which is more than I can say for you!" Kallen finished and began her assault anew.

She charged with another kick that Suzaku barely dodged, and then a follow up punch that would have caused serious bone and tissue damage had the Knight of Seven been any other man. Not wanting to be stuck on the defensive, Suzaku retaliated with some punches of his own, with one causing Kallen to heave for air and end her blitz momentarily. Before Suzaku could continue with a kick at her side though, Kallen spun around and connected a roundhouse kick of her own, her dress fluttering as she did, which might have even loosened some of Suzaku's teeth.

"Why are you still serving the Britannians anyway!?" Kallen called out in the midst of the fight. "I thought your goal was to free Japan in your own way."

"That was only part of it…" Suzaku replied, breathing heavily. "My goal is to make a world of peace and harmony, just as Euphie had envisioned."

Kallen suddenly felt her rage begin to grow inside. "By helping Britannia bring its power down on everyone else!? That kind of peace is only based on subjugation, just like with our homeland!"

"…But in the end, peace nonetheless." Suzaku explained with an unnerving calm.

And as if Suzaku had pushed the button on a detonator, the contained fury with Kallen Kouzuki exploded in a great nova, bleeding through to her face. She now saw that this was not the Suzaku Kururugi of eight years ago, the one that had joined Britannia so that he could free the Japanese without violating the system. Whether it was through Princess Euphemia's death or some other line of events, the man before her had transformed into an enemy of humanity and everything that she, Lelouch, and the Black Knights as a whole stood against Britannia for. No matter who won, there would be no redemption for Suzaku now.

Holding nothing back, Kallen lunged forward and threw a straight punch for Suzaku's nose that was quickly parried with a forearm block. With her arm still pressed up against Suzaku's, she then spun on her left foot clockwise until she was beside Suzaku, from which she completed the arc with an elbow to his backbone. Suzaku stumbled for just a moment, but that was enough for Kallen, as she landed three more punches to his head just as he twisted around to face her. He tried to throw a punch of his own, but Kallen grabbed it and dragged him forward so that he was facing away from her again, before she unleashed twin kicks into his backside and head.

Almost fainting from the shock, Suzaku cocked his left leg and spun to unload a kick into Kallen's ribs. Kallen could only briefly wonder if the impact had broken a few, as Suzaku regained his balance and sent another collection of punches into her stomach. Kallen, who had to resist the urge vomit from the attacks, managed to dodge the last few and then grab hold of her opponent's arm, to which she used to once again fling Suzaku against the wall, hard.

Becoming more aggressive now to keep Kallen from dominating him again, Suzaku punched straight for the _Guren_ pilot's throat, only for the opposite ace to bank her head to the right to avoid it. However, that was only for Kallen to open up so that Suzaku could deliver his knee into her gut once more, followed by a kick that sent her off of him and allowing the White Knight to move away from the wall. In turn, Kallen delivered a palm strike to Suzaku's face that made his vision light up with fireworks once more.

Her opponent now faltering from shock and pain, Kallen then made a right hook that only increased Suzaku's frustrations, which was followed by another palm strike that was meant to break Suzaku's nose. Fortunately for the White Knight, he recovered just in time to block the strike and the following attacks, but Kallen remained vicious and did not halt her offensive. The fight soon devolved into Suzaku barely managing to hold Kallen at bay, but with each block and dodge he pulled to evade her blitzkrieg, the more energy he spent in the process.

_I can't hold out like this forever. Eventually, she'll get through my defense, and then she'll…_ that thought made Suzaku's eyes widen as he felt a great force overcome him.

As Kallen was about to deliver another punch, Suzaku's hand suddenly shot up and grabbed her fist before impact. The Black Knight then tried to withdraw her hand, but she could not break Suzaku's iron hold on her, which seemed to have far more force behind it than she would have expected, even for him.

"…I guess this is my limit…" Suzaku murmured under his breath.

"What?" Kallen let out, having no clue at the sudden change over Suzaku.

"I'm sorry Kallen, but I'm afraid this must end now." Suzaku continued, his voice getting more eerie with each word. "So that I may _live_."

When Kallen's eyes met Suzaku's once more, she immediately noticed the red metaphysical rings that surrounded his irises.

* * *

Upon clashing blades against the _Vincent_'s twin lance after their latest exchange of slashes, thrusts and parries, Tohdoh engaged the seidotou's rocket thrusters, using the blue jets of flame to both force his opponent's melee weapon away as well as temporarily blind his adversary. This forced Cornelia to back away from her opponent to keep her vision from being overwhelmed, and Tohdoh naturally took advantage of this by slashing at the _Vincent_'s torso. The result was a fairly deep gash that could have hit the enemy machine's superconductor drive, but Cornelia's superior reflexes allowed her to make her knightmare fly back just before the edge cut into the powerplant. She then brought up her lance again and made a spinning slash at the _Zangetsu_ that put Tohdoh back on the defensive.

Suddenly, the _Vincent_ raised its arm to reveal a box shaped device upon its elbow, before charging straight at the _Zangetsu_. Reacting by instinct, Tohdoh engaged his radiant wave shield to deflect the oncoming attack, which worked in preventing Cornelia from reaching the _Zangetsu_ itself. However, just after the _Vincent_'s elbow slammed against the crimson barrier, sending ripples across the air, the device generated a pulse of energy that shattered the shield and made the _Zangetsu_ recoil backward from the shock, disorienting Tohdoh.

_That's a new one._ Tohdoh thought as he fired off another barrage of machine cannon rounds to keep the _Vincent_ back long enough for him to recover. Spinning around to reorient his knightmare, he just managed to catch sight of the _Vincent_ launching its slash harkens at him, to which he weaved around in and out before readying his seidotou once more for the attack. While pretending to be readying for a slash attack, he reversed the blade at the last second and launched the hilt mounted slash harken straight into the _Vincent_'s head. Though the attack failed to knock the head off of the frame, it managed to crack the stylized faceplate.

"…It seems you are not as good as you used to be _Majohime_. Has eight years away from the battlefield atrophied your skills so much?" Tohdoh taunted over the radio.

"I could say the same for you." Cornelia lashed back with her lance. "You might have a better knightmare, but you're far from the man who led the charge in the Black Rebellion. Maybe I should let one of my novices deal with you…"

"Go ahead. The fool would put up a greater challenge." Tohdoh shot back viciously as he performed a three slash combo that Cornelia just barely deflected against.

Cornelia counter-slashed at the _Zangetsu_ in turn and then followed it up with a stab, managing to sever a piece of the black knightmare's shoulder fin in the process but not hitting anything else. Dismayed that the Witch of Britannia managed to take a chunk out of his machine, Tohdoh followed up by actually kicking the _Vincent_ in the chestplate and then attempting to behead it, but by that point Cornelia managed to bring one of the lance blades up to deflect the attack. Then, twirling her lance like a fan blade, she created a makeshift shield that forced Tohdoh to abandon his melee momentarily.

As he flew back, the sensors beeped once again at new arrivals on radar. At first Tohdoh surmised that they were reinforcements from Britannia's Yuma Base, but when his eye caught the readout, the Black Knight General almost felt the pigmentation drain from his skin and the aforementioned eye begin to twitch in panic. While the numbers were not as much as he expected, rounding to only four new machines entering the battlefield, it was what his computer ID'd them as that caused alarm: _Galahad_, _Tristan_, _Mordred_ and _Percival_.

"The Knights of One, Three, Six and Ten…!" Tohdoh gasped. He had already known that the possibility of Knights of the Round joining the battle was quite high, but at the same time he had been hoping that they would have chosen to seek shelter and let Cornelia's forces handle the battle rather than risk wading through the carnage to get to their individual knightmare hangars and join in. Unfortunately, it looked as though four of them managed to disappoint Tohdoh's hopes and expectations.

"Well, looks like you're time's about to run out." Cornelia stated as she took the opening to attack, also noticing the arrival of the four Rounds members. "Willing to surrender yet, Eleven?"

Tohdoh's initial response was to throw back her attack, and then proceed with his own. And for the first time in years, he remembered the Battle of Itsukushima and how, even though he and his forces had been up against ever growing numbers, were still able to pull through thanks to Tohdoh's once famous miracle. Now fifteen years later, he was up against similar odds in the same hopeless situation, but Tohdoh knew that just like then, the Japanese had to pull through or risk losing the war that had just begun.

_Kouzuki will liberate Zero…_ Tohdoh thought as he continued his exchange in attacks and defenses. _We need to buy her more time!_

And with that determination, Tohdoh finally gave his reply to Cornelia. "I am General Kyoshiro Tohdoh of the Black Knights! I and my forces do not, have not, and will never surrender to your kind! We may have lost much, but we, the Japanese live on nonetheless, and until you properly kill us all, we will make Britannia pay for the crime of being born!"

* * *

TO BE CONTINUED…


	7. Chapter 07: Storm Above Camelot

"_War – An act of violence whose purpose is to constrain the enemy, to accomplish our will."_  
- George Washington

**Chapter 07: Storm Above Camelot**

**Pendragon, Holy Britannian Empire  
March 26, 2025 a.t.b.**

Within the confines of the _Galahad_'s cockpit, Bismarck Waldstein could see the full brunt of the fighting over Pendragon. As bright and spectacular as the display of fireworks that had moments before filled the sky, the battle between Britannia's loyal defenders and its fearless invaders continued on in a great aerial waltz, with flash signifying both a victory of one side and a defeat for the other. For Bismarck, it was something that he had not seen with his own eyes or felt with his own body for a long time; his status as the Emperor's personal bodyguard kept him from directly participating in combat unless under the most dire of circumstances, such as now. Needless say, he was as immersed in anticipation as he was in dread over the fact that an enemy force was able to penetrate so deeply into Britannian territory without detection.

To make matters worse, the enemy knightmares, while far lesser in number, were making mincemeat out of Pendragon's defenders in successive fashion. In fact, from his standpoint, Bismarck estimated that only one of their frames equaled at least six of Britannia's. Not that Bismarck didn't understand why his side was dwindling; unlike his comrades, he knew that these were the Black Knights, and that in spite of eight years without participating in active combat, many of these men and women were veterans from the Black Rebellion and perhaps even further back. And to add to their advantage, they were obviously fielding eighth generation knightmare frames. Compare that to the abundance of novice pilots and older fifth generation knightmares that made up the defending forces, and it was like throwing a lit match into a lake and expecting it to remain alight even as water overpowered it. But then that wasn't too much of a problem; the Knights of the Round were now on the scene and reinforcements from Davis-Monthan were due to arrive at any time. For all intents and purposes, the Black Knights were trapped on Britannian soil, surrounded by enemies on all sides.

_At least that's what it would look like to the uniformed observer…_ Bismarck thought as the _Galahad_'s Druid System continued to analyze the battle and provide readings to its pilot. Just as the Knight of One knew the identity of the invaders, he also knew what their true objective was, and that they more than likely had an escape plan which would take them and their prize far out of reach. In a strange and ironic sort of way, the Knight of One found his opponents to be very courageous in that; rather than hide and make a new life for their civilization, they chose to strike against their former oppressors directly in the hope of regaining their Demon King, all so that they could draw further vengeance. Bismarck would not have expected any less from those who dubbed themselves as knights.

For the moment however, he had to feign ignorance, if only to keep his comrades from getting suspicious about his foreknowledge. "Gino, is this the force that tracked the _Avalon_ over the Atlantic?"

The _Tristan_'s head turned to acknowledge its comrade. "Yes, right down to the black colors they're all painted in. I never expected they would come this far in…"

"That only means we have every right to kill them all." Luciano replied with some annoyance to his comrade's tone. "Or does your stomach turn at the prospect of slaughter, hatchling?"

"On the contrary Count Chocula…" Gino shot back with vicious sarcasm, deeply enjoying the sight of Luciano squirm in response. "…I'm looking forward to returning some favors."

"I wonder if you will feel that way when you learn the truth, Gino." Bismarck muttered under his breath at a level that would not be picked up by the _Galahad_'s com receiver. Just like everything else, he knew of Gino's past and sympathies for the Elevens. But even that was irreverent at this time; as Knights of the Round, it was their duty to defend their Empire against all who stood against it, even if the aggressors had reason behind their actions. And so Bismarck spoke up again, with the sound of his voice immediately quelling the potential argument. "We will make them regret their arrogance. Knights of the Round, break off and engage!"

_"Yes, my lord!"_ Gino, Luciano and Anya signaled at once, before all four knightmares broke formation and shot off into different directions.

As Bismarck charged into the fray, six of those knightmares targeted him and attempted to surround him for a six way converging attack. Encircling him like vultures over a carcass, they then simultaneously flew at him with their swords ready to strike. Smirking at the sight, the Knight of One once more found himself giving credit toward his enemies: usually the opposition _fled_ in his presence.

But that didn't mean he was going to go easy on them. Reaching out with the _Galahad_'s right hand, he launched the five finger harkens into one of the enemy knightmares, making sure that they didn't hit any vital spots that would destroy the frame outright, and then swung it around as an impromptu mace that slammed into two of the other five machines, destroying all three upon the various impacts. This attack also forced the remaining three knightmares to abandon their synchronized attack, thus upon abandoning the remains of his captive, Bismarck launched after one and delivered a left hook into the machine's torso, where he then proceeded to rip out the superconductor drive much like a still beating heart.

The enemy machine fell from the sky with the loss of its main power source, and its two other comrades tried to move in to strike the Knight of One while his back was turned. As they drew close however, Bismarck threw away the drive and then made the _Galahad_ spin around, unleashing a roundhouse kick that even Suzaku Kururugi could not match, the right landspinner smashing into one enemy machine and then its partner before sending them flying away in a crumpled heap of metal. They exploded not long after, their powerplants reaching critical mass due to the structural damage.

That was not the end of them of course; unless Bismarck's sensors were lying to him, more than a handful of enemy machines were now charging at him. Such was their number that he knew that he would not be able to fight them all hand-to-hand like he just did; he would have to take them all on with his full skill and arsenal.

"I will admit that you have both my respect and my sympathy." Bismarck murmured to the air as the enemy knightmares drew closer. "However…"

Suddenly the _Galahad_ raised its arm up as its back mounted scabbard folded out and presented the sword hilt for the waiting hand. Metal fingers grasping the golden hilt, it then drew the sword and swung its side so that the Britannian knightmare could rest its other hand over it. And at long last, as a torrent of energy swirled and massed around the now glowing purple blade, the _Galahad_ raised the heavy MVS "Excalibur", the very symbol of the Knight of One's unparalleled skill and power, over its head.

"_I will not allow you to reclaim Zero so easily!"_ Bismarck declared, before swinging the blade down and unleashing a magenta colored energy wave at the incoming Black Knights.

* * *

**Aries Palace**  
**Pendragon, Holy Britannian Empire  
March 26, 2025 a.t.b.**

Using almost all of her strength, Kallen managed to rip her hand away from Suzaku's grip, then lunged for her opponent's head. However, the White Knight moved even faster than she had anticipated, blocking her attack and then punching her in the gut, causing Kallen to keel over into the perfect position for the uppercut that followed, which knocked the Black Knight back a few steps. Despite being briefly stunned, Suzaku did not back down in his assault, as he punched straight for Kallen's face, then followed up with a kick to the sternum that shook the Red Dragoness to her core.

Despite the pain in her chest, Kallen lifted her leg and moved to kick Suzaku across the head, as well as buy her some time and distance for recovery. However, Suzaku ducked below the sweep and made two punches into Kallen's face before throwing a palm thrust that came close to breaking her nose. Kallen tried to punch him with her right arm, but Suzaku simply blocked the strike with his forearm and punched back, though this time Kallen managed to block as well.

Acting fast, the Black Knight ace knocked the Knight of Seven's fist to the side with her left arm and smashed her right elbow up into his forehead, a move that would have normally been enough to cause a blackout. But Suzaku came right back and made an aggressive combination of kicks into Kallen's sides, stomach, and chest. So fast did Suzaku move, and so strong were these attacks, that Kallen wasn't even able to tell them apart aside from the pain they caused to their individual areas, and she struggled to keep herself from being overwhelmed by it all. Suzaku then finished up by delivering a palm strike into Kallen's throat that sent her flying back to the floor.

Kallen landed in a heap with her hands across her neck, coughing and gasping for air, while Suzaku loomed before her, slowly walking forward like a beast moving in for the kill. She looked up at him and stared into his red ringed eyes. _So this is the "curse" from Shikine…_

Indeed, the power of Geass, specifically that of Absolute Obedience, was once more something to behold. Now, as Kallen summarized, she was facing a being that was incapable of holding back the immense strength he possessed, one who was entirely driven to fight without hesitance or relent and capable of pushing his body beyond its physical limitations. Pain no longer existed in her opponent's mind, as her own attacks did nothing to halt his offensive or hinder him, aside from perhaps causing the most momentary daze, the command to "Live" surmounting all desires, feelings, and moralities. All of this came together as one, transforming Suzaku Kururugi, who already could be considered unattested in power and will, into the perfect _Ubermensch_.

And still, though matched against such a being, the Red Dragoness forced herself onto her feet, spitting a bit of blood to her side as she did. As the Black Knights' most powerful ace, she would be a vital asset in the battles to come, once Zero was recovered and their offensive against Britannia was given new form. Thus, she could not, would not, allow herself to fall, not when so much was riding on her.

But at the same time, she knew that for her to escape and complete the mission, she had to defeat Suzaku first, so as her opponent continued to move closer in a calm strut, Kallen quickly retook control of her breathing and prepared to fight again.

But just as she did this, Suzaku shot forward with a burst of speed and grabbed hold of her throat with immense force. He followed this up by throwing her back against the corridor wall much like she had done to him earlier, and then delivering an iron fisted punch into her stomach once again. Such was the strength behind the blow that the tremor Kallen's body created caused the walls to shutter around them, as she let out a choked gasp of air and a small spray of blood from her mouth. She could barely keep her eyes open now, almost falling into unconsciousness as Suzaku's narrowed red rimmed eyes stared into her blackening own.

"_I must live on…"_ Suzaku muttered in the voice of a possessed man, the flash and thunder of an explosion in the background only making him look and sound all the more unreal. His grip tightened, to the point Kallen was sure his fingers were leaving indents into her neck. Her eye twitched to remain open while she felt pain coursing throughout every inch of her body. She tried to counter by bringing her knee up to strike, but Suzaku had closed the distance between them and pressed his body against hers, thus keeping her legs in check while she struggled for breath.

Thoughts becoming hard to process, but knowing she had mere seconds before unconsciousness and perhaps even death settled in, Kallen did the only thing she could manage from her position: she repeated the move he used against her earlier and struck her hand against his own throat. It was not as strong as her normal attacks, but the sudden loss of air caused Suzaku to loosen his grip on her, enough that she broke his hold. She then tried to kick him back, but her Geass possessed opponent reeled back and attempted to punch her in the face once more, only for her to jump out of the way and let the fist go straight into the wall, making a nice sized hole in the wood.

With that, Kallen slammed her heel against the side of Suzaku's head multiple times over, the shock causing him to stumble from the loss of equilibrium, but only slowing him down temporarily. She backed away, arms raised defensively as the Knight of Seven finally withdrew his arm from the wall and turned to face her once more, his expression still without emotion in spite of her last attack.

Now, for the first time since their fight had begun, Kallen was feeling true fear. In her mind, it felt like she was fighting an unstoppable cyborg from the future rather than a man of equal fighting caliber to her, and that no matter what she did it would keep coming after her until she was either disabled or dead. This was only punctuated when Suzaku performed his infamous spin kick, which she was just barely able to duck, only for him to twist around upon landing and deliver another kick and punch combination at her, Kallen barely being able to deflect either of them.

_Not yet, I still have the tranquilizer and my own power…!_ Kallen remembered as she blocked another punch, feeling the bone in her arm threaten to break from the sheer power behind it. The only thing that stopped her from using the latter was, simply, the fact it would mean revealing one of her most advantageous weapons against Suzaku early on, something that could easily spell disaster in the future. But that didn't change the fact she still needed to find an opening within her opponent's impenetrable offense and defense to finish this.

All that while in the background, the window for escape was closing with each passing second…

* * *

Tohdoh seethed as Cornelia attempted a downward slash from overhead, which he quickly parried with his seidotou and forced her back. He then kicked the _Zangetsu_'s thrusters up and slammed into the _Vincent_, tackling it across the sky. The two knightmare frames remained linked for a time as they flew through the air, with their respective blades holding the other in place, turning their duel into a battle of force. This didn't last long however, as Cornelia cried out and threw her knightmare's power against Tohdoh, forcing him back, before making several slashes with her lance blades, causing Tohdoh to reverse his unit's flight path to escape the onslaught.

However, he wasn't so focused on Cornelia that he didn't notice another _Sutherland_ coming at him from behind with a heavy lance. Engaging the seidotou's thrusters in tandem with the air glide wing system's, Tohdoh twisted the _Zangetsu_ around one hundred eighty degrees and slashed the interloper into halves before twisting around to face _Vincent_ yet again. This maneuver, however, gave the Witch of Britannia just enough time to redraw her VARIS and launch a split second burst shot that Tohdoh was just barely able to evade. This small opening proved to be an exploitable opportunity, with Cornelia flying at Tohdoh with her machine's right needle blazer ready to finish the duel. Tohdoh swore he felt his perception of time slow down in the second it took for him to hit the overdrive on his thrusters once more and shoot upward to avoid the charging _Vincent_ by a hair length, literally with the _Zangetsu_'s hair-like extensions that were on the sides of its head.

In the midst of the fight, he caught sight of the four Knights of the Round and their seventh generation machines as they fought their way through the chaos. As was expected of them, they were quickly dispatching whatever Black Knight machine came into their sight, almost with a feeling of effortlessness Tohdoh observed. He sneered at all four of them with contempt; though the _Ikaruga_'s contingent of knightmare pilots had all been trained to potentially fight against Britannian's twelve elite warriors, only tried and true aces like Kallen Kouzuki and Tohdoh himself had any hope of fighting those titans on an equal level.

And as the four high end machines continued to weave a path of destruction into the heart of the battle, Tohdoh wanted to break off and engage one himself, if only to keep that one from destroying any more of his men, but unfortunately Cornelia's next charging attack kept him from breaking off.

"I'm not letting you run Tohdoh!" Cornelia howled as she drove her lance once more against the seidotou.

"_Kisama_…!" Tohdoh snarled back as he launched his chest mounted slash harken to throw her off a bit, before pressing the offensive with a horizontal slash. He then shifted his radio to the channels for Asahina and Chiba's _Akatsukis_. "Shinden One, Kyofu One, take your units plus Zero Squadron and engage the Knights of the Round! Break off into teams and isolate them; don't let them cause any more damage!"

"_Shouchi_, Shogun One!" Chiba and Asahina both replied, in full acknowledgement of his command. At the very least that would by time; while he knew his subordinates would act out his commands to the letter, he could only hope that they would be able to hold off the Britannian elites until Kouzuki arrived.

However, he wasn't so preoccupied with his fight against the Second Princess that he didn't hear his radio crackle once more with the voice of Minase Mutsuki. "_Ikaruga_ to Shogun One, we're detecting Britannian reinforcements incoming from Sectors Lambda Six and Gamma Twelve."

Once more forcing Cornelia away for a brief moment, Tohdoh switched to his tactical display on the center monitor. As he had been warned, his monitor was filled with red dots, each one symbolizing a Britannian knightmare frame, flying toward Pendragon at high speed from both the east and southwest. It was quite obvious they were the Davis-Monthan reinforcements.

"Shogun One to _Ikaruga_, enemy forces confirmed. You may begin Raikou bombardment when ready." Tohdoh acknowledged as he made another slash at the _Vincent_'s head, forcing Cornelia to jump back.

* * *

**Black Knights air battleship **_**Ikaruga**_  
**Duchy of Roswell, Area 1 (North America), Holy Britannian Empire  
March 26, 2025 a.t.b.**

"Open tubes one and two." Yoshitaka Minami ordered just after the message from Tohdoh was received. "Set missiles for midair detonation over Sectors Lambda Ten and Gamma Fifteen."

After a minute, the _Ikaruga_'s weapons operator Corporal Ayame Futuba acknowledged those orders as the bridge's central monitor switched to display the target areas of the missiles. "Tubes open, target data locked in. Raikous ready for launch."

"Fire." Minami replied simply, his gaze narrowing in the process. Standing close to him, C.C. and Ohgi also watched the monitors with great interest, as this was to be the first usage of the Raikou in the field of battle.

Though the Black Knights had kept themselves hidden for the last eight years as the world continued to fall apart around them, they had been anything but idle with their time. In such a period, they had developed their once meekly resistance group into a full-fledged military force with state of the art technology and professionally trained soldiers. Weapons that had once been difficult or impossible for the Japanese to procure on their own, such as the knightmare frame and the airship, were now fielded as standard equipment within their ranks due to this period of breakthrough development. But the Black Knights' Science Division did not content itself with simply developing upon existing concepts of destruction; several new ideas had also been experimented upon and brought into reality during this phase as well.

The first and foremost of these new weapons that the Black Knights intended to use against the Britannians was the Raikou cruise missile. Named after the makeshift Japanese siege cannon that had been utilized during their insurrection, this new Raikou, or "lightning", took the idea behind its predecessor and expanded it to cruise missile form with increased destructiveness. On paper, the Raikou was essentially a flying radar guided cluster bomb; once it reached its target location, the missile would deploy its payload of small, rocket-propelled warheads, which would then spray over a large area and detonate once reaching a certain altitude or upon impact. Such a concept had long become a staple of modern warfare, but what made the Raikou truly unique was that each of its warheads were made out of pure sakuradite. Just one had enough yield to level a multitude of city blocks upon detonation. Thus when all were combined in force a single Raikou could create a nice sized valley where any unfortunate foes had once been.

For the Black Knights, the Raikou represented the epitome of irony. Not long ago, the Britannians had enslaved their race so that they could gain direct access to Japan's sakuradite deposits, and then they used that very resource to destroy their land. Thus it wasn't surprising that the Black Knights were quite willing to return the favor through this new weapon, with interest.

So it went exactly as the Black Knights had intended. Two missiles launched from the _Ikaruga_ and streaked toward their target areas in a matter of minutes, which upon reaching, each scattered their deadly payloads right over the heads of the Britannians. While a few of them were keen enough to notice the respective missile fly overhead and even attempt to evade the raining warheads, none of them realized what they were until the flashes erupted and engulfed them. In only a matter of seconds, the entire knightmare frame contingent of Britannia's Davis-Monthan base were wiped out in a collection of magenta colored explosions that covered the sky for entire kilometers.

* * *

**Pendragon, Holy Britannian Empire  
March 26, 2025 a.t.b.**

"What the…!?" Gino shouted as he felt the air around him shake with furor, almost knocking the _Tristan_ and every other knightmare frame around it out of the air. After he made it to a clearing, he turned his machine around and deployed the shoulder mounted factspheres to scan for data. Looking at his sensor readout, his blood ran cold from the dawning realization and the magenta glare cast from the detonations. "The reinforcements were wiped out!? That easily!?"

"Just… just what are they!?" Gino heard from close by over the radio. Looking back, he saw a group of _Sutherlands_ that had also stopped to look toward the explosions.

"There's no way we can fight against that…!" another one let out, making Gino grit his teeth at what he was hearing.

"Don't let up!" Gino barked over the radio in what he called his "Knight of Three voice", making the _Sutherland_ pilots all unanimously recoil. "We haven't lost this battle yet! Reinforcements are still coming, just keep the enemy at bay long enough until they arrive!"

Before any of the _Sutherlands_ could respond to that, a sudden rain of machinegun and rocket fire slammed into three of their number and destroyed them. The rest broke in formation as the attacking enemy unit charged at them, an example Gino took to heart as he transformed the _Tristan_ into its fortress mode and evaded their fire, all the while he returned it with his own machineguns. _Damn they're fast at taking the offensive…!_

"_Charge!"_ he almost roared over the radio as he shot back at the enemy knightmares. The call did not go unnoticed, as the aforementioned _Sutherlands_ and several others formed up around the _Tristan_, adding their own firepower into the mix. Gino couldn't help but inwardly grin at that; he may not have been as much of a leader as Lelouch, but he still knew how to take charge when necessary. After all, he was the Knight of Three.

Deciding he wanted to make his own big show as a response for that last attack, Gino launched his slash harkens into two of the enemy machines, who immediately detonated from their Ygghdrasil drives being pierced and destabilized. Then, in a surprising motion, he twisted the _Tristan_ around and actually had it ram into one of the enemy machines, at such a velocity that the _Tristan_'s "nose" pierced through the torso armor. Then finishing it off by firing his machine guns point blank into its exposed center, Gino barrel rolled and forcing the knightmare off before it exploded.

Seemingly incensed by the Knight of Three's flamboyancy, four more enemy knightmares came racing toward his position now. Seeing this, Gino immediately transformed back into knightmare mode and drew the _Tristan_'s poleaxes, quickly joining them together as one of his opponents charged at him with a chain sword. He managed to hold that one off from doing any damage, but its comrades encircled him with their own swords drawn, and soon enough a four-on-one melee erupted between them, with Gino skillfully holding back his assailants with a combination of twirls, parries and slashes with the poleaxe.

After several moments of simultaneously holding four knightmares at bay, Gino finally took action. He spun around in a full one hundred eighty degrees and beheaded two of his opponents as well as slicing into their torsos, before knocking them away with a kick and a pole slap. For the third, he performed a midair flip that landed one of the poleaxe blades straight down the middle, creating a large gash that immediately caused the enemy knightmare to detonate. And then came the fourth, who attempted to overwhelm Gino with a flurry of attacks at nearly every angle possible. In the middle of that, Gino also kicked that one away, and then launched his slash harkens once more and formed the electromagnetic rail cannon. One concentrated electrical surge later, and the enemy machine was completely obliterated.

Meanwhile, the _Sutherland_ squad quickly chased away the other enemy knightmares, thus buying a small pause between the fighting for Gino. In that pause, a sudden realization entered the Knight of Three's mind. _They don't have enough troops to occupy Pendragon, but if they wanted to destroy it they would have done it with that superweapon… Just what are they trying to accomplish here?_

"_Kutabare_ Britannian!"yelled an unknown enemy pilot over the radio, just as Gino's sensors tracked two more enemy knightmares charging towards him at high speeds from behind.

For a brief moment, the sound of that voice actually caused Gino's right eyebrow to rise; it was definitely the voice of a teenage boy, but the accent and language were unlike anything he could recall hearing. And yet, in spite of everything, Gino felt he had heard something similar to both once before.

However, he had no time to think about it. Just as the first machine reached melee range, it attempted to grasp the _Tristan_'s cockpit with its claw arm. However, the Knight of Three was faster in his defense, using the poleaxe to knock the arm off of its course and then twisting around the enemy unit as it shot by. When its partner came to support, Gino did the same thing, except spinning the poleaxe once to use the opposite blade for the job.

Their attack failed, the enemy knightmares came to an abrupt stop and twisted around to face the _Tristan _again. Immediately, Gino took notice of their red armor and smirked. "And here I was wondering when I would run into you guys again!"

"I was hoping to see you as well…" that same funny little voice seethed with hate. "I'll gut you properly this time, as I should have done before."

Once more, Gino wondered what was going on; he couldn't figure out why his adversary wasn't including his comrade in the exchange, or for that matter why the other adversary was remaining silent. However, he could clearly understand the pure hatred that was behind the voice, and knew that the kid would hold nothing back against him. Thus, he took it in stride.

"Is that so?" Gino spoke over the radio, punctuating his words by spinning the poleaxe and then finally aiming one of the blades at the twin knightmares. "Well, _I_ was hoping to fight that ace who gave Lelouch a hard time, but I can easily make do with two of its fan club. Have at me!"

Rather than respond to the challenge verbally, the pair of enemy machines charged at him in a crossing pattern. The first of them, rather than engage him up close as originally thought, leveled its claw out and fired off a machine gun like burst of energy bolts. Gino evaded to the left and launched his right slash harken, forcing the enemy machine to also dodge. Its partner however, which Gino suspected belonged to the owner of that funny little voice, launched itself at him with its knife set to strike. It flew straight at him, but he had managed to bring up his poleaxe in time to deflect it. He then spun the poleaxe to force the knife away and smash the pole into the enemy knightmare's side, sending it spinning away. At that point the first one had rejoined the fight, drawing its own strangely designed knife, then unleashing a five slash combo that Gino had to strain himself to deflect. Something about his enemy's fluidic movement struck another chime with Gino's memory.

_Where have I seen this fighting style before? _Gino wondered as he deflected his adversary's attacks with the same skill that made worth of being a Knight of the Round. Then his opponent brought down its claw for an overhead attack, trying to grasp the _Tristan_'s head. Gino moved back and dodged to the left, letting the claw latch harmlessly onto the air. He then tried to counterattack by slashing his opponent's arms off with his poleaxe, but the enemy pilot corrected its stroke in time to bring a rising swipe that deflected Gino's strike easily.

At that point the second unit rejoined the fight, moving for a horizontal slash. Much to his disappointment Gino imagined, the _Tristan_ simply activated its thrusters and ascended, where it then transformed into its fortress mode and fired its machine cannons into both knightmares. The first one managed to evade the attack entirely, but the second one barely managed to escape, its left arm and shoulder becoming riddled with bullets right before the ammunition in its handgun exploded, taking the entire arm and knife with it.

"Now that's what I call disarmed!" Gino laughed out, knowing that his words would only aggravate his opponents further. However, the fight was still not yet won, as the first opponent had changed its flight path to shoot after him again. Gino barrel rolled to evade it, then attempted to repeat an earlier trick and tackle the enemy machine with the _Tristan_'s fortress mode, but his opponent was quick enough to jump out of the way.

"_KISAMA!_" Gino heard that funny voice ring out across the radio once more. Upon that, his second adversary came charging at his back, from which it launched a scarlet energy beam at his cockpit. The Knight of Three activated his front apogee thrusters and made the _Tristan_ fly backwards just as the beam flew past and then arched around. Now he was the one behind, something he was about to take advantage of when he transformed the _Tristan_ back into knightmare mode.

Before he could move in however, the second machine produced a sudden burst of speed and turned directly around. It then attempted to again grasp the _Tristan_ with its claw, but the pilot was too incensed with rage and Gino was too skilled not to exploit it. Not even bothering to parry the attack, Gino simply banked the _Tristan_ back and forth, each grabbing attempt passing by mere meters but still not landing. If a machine could display emotion, then the _Tristan_ would certainly have been laughing at its adversary's futile attacks.

"Hold still Goddamnit!" the voice screamed once more, the high pitched tone only making it sound funnier rather than intimidating.

"Make me." Gino replied with a vindictive playfulness. That's when he saw the first one move in to strike once more.

Bringing about the poleaxe, Gino thrust one blade forward to hold back the second machine's claw, then angled the other blade to do the same with the first; both of which managed to hold back the blades by projecting red energy shields from their claw tips. For a few seconds, he held both machines at bay using only the _Tristan_'s sheer strength, before he decided it was time to finish one off, specifically the one with the rookie pilot. Thus he spun the poleaxe to break his hold on the two of them, then followed up with a kick that sent the first machine flying back. With that one momentarily out of the way, Gino went to work on the second. He started by slicing off its claw arm, then its legs, and then the chest mounted slash harken it fired to force him back. Then at long last, he proceeded to cut off the enemy knightmare's head in one swoop of the poleaxe.

"Any last words?" he said to the enemy pilot in that same mocking playfulness. He then positioned his poleaxe for a downward slash, not bothering to wait for his opponent's reply.

And then, without warning, the pilot screamed in one last act of defiance. **"_REMEMBER JAPAN!_"**

Though Gino continued with his attack, those two words were enough to freeze his heart like a drop of water in a blizzard and cast a feeling of dawning revelation upon him. _What…?_

Before the Maser Vibration blade could even penetrate the metal of the cockpit canopy, the first machine dove in and shoved its comrade aside before intercepting Gino's blade with its own, once more. Rather than force any more attacks, it focused its strength on keeping the poleaxe in place and Gino from breaking away. Before Gino could react to this, he heard the other pilot's voice on his radio, his proximity to the enemy machine being enough that he could pick up on its frequency.

"Rei Four, there's nothing else you can do here! Return to the _Ikaruga_!" a female voice signaled off to its comrade.

His heart becoming even more frozen over, Gino realized that he actually _recognized_ this voice, just like he had the machine's fighting style. "Is that…?" he muttered in disbelief.

"I told you before, I do not take orders from Britannians!" the voice of the second machine's pilot sounded off again. "And I can still fight!"

One could almost see the first knightmare's dual orange eyes twitch with annoyance. "Use your head Rikichi; you don't even have a shield! You're just a floating target waiting to be shot down!"

"You're wrong, I still have…" Rikichi replied sharply, but quieted down once he apparently read over his diagnostics and realized he was, indeed, weaponless.

"My point exactly." the female pilot replied with coolness, in spite of what she was doing. "You had your chance and you blew it, so return to base! That way I don't have to explain to the Major why you died here."

The next thing Gino heard was the sound of a fist slamming into a console and the roar of an enemy that realized he was effectively defeated. With that finished, the second machine turned around and shot off towards the east, likely to return to the enemy mothership wherever it was waiting.

When the second knightmare was out of visual range, the female pilot spoke up again. Her tone was one of disappointment and regret. "It's a shame we have to meet again under these circumstances. I really mean that."

At that, Gino reversed his blade and shot backward, giving the enemy machine some distance. Then he stopped in midair, making the _Tristan_ and the enemy machine face each other directly.

"Is that you, Charmelle…?" Gino spoke again, inwardly wondering if he really was seeing a ghost. "…Charmelle Finlay?"

A video image appeared on his main monitor, displaying a young clearly Britannian woman with short red hair and darkened hazel eyes, dressed in a crimson colored pilot suit of some kind. She stared back at him with an apologetic expression. "It's been a while, hasn't it Gino Weinburg?"

* * *

**Aries Palace  
Pendragon, Holy Britannian Empire  
March 26, 2025 a.t.b.**

By this point, Kallen could feel her body begin to give out on her from the large amount of damage it had taken in the course of the fight. Even as she dodged Suzaku's latest attack and then countered with her own kick, she felt her vision blur and her strength weaken. Suzaku had apparently noticed as well, as he reached up and grabbed her leg right before the kick landed, then began to apply pressure with his fingers like he had done before to her neck. Kallen gritted her teeth as the five individual digits pressed into her gastrocnemius with the force of steel, threatening to puncture her skin and rip through the muscle directly. Knowing Suzaku was more than capable of doing that, but less than able to hold himself back from doing permanent damage, the _Guren_ pilot put all of her remaining strength into her opposite leg and twisted in Suzaku's grip to smash it against the other side of his face.

Apparently this attack managed to get through, as Suzaku abandoned his grip, whether out of shock or out of pain Kallen did not know. She landed on the floor in a heap as Suzaku stepped back a few feet to regain his lost composure, rubbing his hand against his bruised cheek, but otherwise not letting out any sounds. Kallen wanted to take the offensive again, but her right leg, the one that her opponent had nearly crushed, wouldn't stand no matter how much she commanded it to. She then tried to stand on her left leg, but she couldn't balance herself, thus leaving her helpless while the White Knight of Britannia started to walk back toward her to finish her off.

_Think Kallen! See an opening, something to exploit!_ her mind beseeched her while her mouth was busy drawing and expelling air at a heightened rate. However, as sharp as her eyes were, even they couldn't find an area or form of movement that she could take advantage of. Not that it would have mattered if her legs wouldn't let her stand up again.

And then suddenly, Suzaku stopped in his tracks. He was close enough to launch another attack if he wanted, but not looming over her like Kallen thought he would be.

"You're as strong as ever, Kallen…" his voice muttered, though it sounded strained for some reason, almost as if its owner were expelling a large amount of energy to hold something back. "…but even you cannot defeat Geass with your strength alone."

Just from his voice, Kallen realized what was happening: Suzaku was fighting to keep the Geass command to "Live" from controlling him, if only momentarily. For some reason that made her smirk a little bit. "So you're _not_ a mindless zombie after all."

"For the last eight years, this curse has kept me from dying, no matter how much I wanted it." Suzaku said, the glowing rings around his eyes fading in and out as he did. "In that time, I have learned to hold it back, if only a little. I can do this just for a few moments, but that's enough time for you to surrender."

"Who said I wanted to surrender?" Kallen replied pointedly, quite far from giving up the fight in spite of her position.

That time Suzaku visibly cringed as he continued to battle the unnatural force of Geass. He also spoke more evenly now. "Please, Kallen… If you surrender, I will no longer recognize you as a threat to my life and will regain control over myself. I know you don't want to, but at least you will not lose your life to this horrid power."

In response to that ultimatum, Kallen laughed defiantly, which only served to surprise Suzaku. This was exactly the opening she needed. "It's ironic. The power that you despise with your entirety is the same power that gives you such strength. You're even more of a hypocrite than I took you for."

"Don't joke Kallen!" Suzaku barked, and then cringed once more. "…I don't know how long I can hold myself back…"

"I however, do not see that kind of power as a curse, but as a gift to be appreciated and utilized." Kallen spoke with true seriousness.

Before Suzaku could ask what she was talking about, Kallen looked up to him, and he could only stare as her left eye turned a glowing shade of red, while a familiar winged sigil prominently formed upon her iris. Upon the sight of that, and Kallen rising up to charge at him once more, the command to "Live" regained control of Suzaku's mind and made him raise his arms to attack.

Unfortunately for Suzaku, there was no way for him to prepare for what was to happen next. Almost as if the sun had risen after a long night, Kallen could now "see" everything that was happening around her. In the sky above, she "saw" as _Akatsukis_ battled _Sutherlands_ and _Gloucesters_ while Tohdoh's _Zangetsu_ fought against what she guessed was Cornelia's knightmare and the four Knights of the Round waged carnage around them as they flew through the melee. On the ground, she could "see" the panic that had taken hold over the city, as the Britannians hid in whatever shelter they could find on short notice, wondering just how anyone could manage to attack their city. And above all else, she could "see" the way that she would defeat Suzaku, even when his "curse" had been activated.

The same supernatural vision that told her what happening around her also was telling her what was happening within the enemy in front of her. She could "see" Suzaku's heart beating away in his chest at a tempo much higher than normal thanks to the surge of adrenaline, so that the increased blood flow would transfer energy around his body faster. As well, she could "see" the abrasion of the bones in his right arm, along with the expansion and contraction of the surrounding muscles as he prepared to deliver a punch. And finally, she could "see" as his throat muscles and lungs expanded as Suzaku drew in his breath; from there he would exhale just as he executed his attack. Through all of these things, Kallen saw Suzaku's state of mind, where and how he was going to attack, and the elapsed time before he would launch his attack.

Thus, as far as Kallen was concerned, her opponent might as well have been moving in slow motion.

Just as Suzaku launched a punch intended to smash into the area between Kallen's eyes, the _Guren_ pilot banked her head and evaded the punch completely; it was close, but she did so with great ease. She did the same with the follow up punch and then ducked under his next attack, a spin kick. In the process of that evasion, she flicked her right arm out and drew the syringe into her palm like a hidden blade. As Suzaku was in the process of recovering from the kick, she darted around him and jammed the needle into his jugular vein.

Suddenly feeling limp as the tranquilizer began to surge through his blood stream, Suzaku lost his balance and fell to his knees before finally collapsing onto the floor. The "Live" command was still active and trying desperately to make him stand back up, but he had no way to act upon it when his body was failing him. The only thing he could do was take the now empty syringe and throw it away, causing it to shatter into a million pieces when it hit the ground.

When he saw Kallen's bare feet come in front of his blackening view, he mustered the energy to look up to her face. There he saw her staring down at him with a hardened glance, both from her natural blue right eye and her unnatural glowing red left eye. Even as the darkness settled in, the sigil upon her left ocular organ shown as bright as a star, as if to visually display the fullest amount of power.

"…Ge…_Geass_…" he managed to mutter as his face degenerated into a mixture of anger and disgust. Even his voice had become little more than minute.

"That's right, the Power of the Queen. The Power of Absolute Awareness." Kallen summarized as she continued to look down at him, both literally and hypothetically. "The power I accepted to avenge Japan and bring justice upon this unjust world. Both of which you should have done yourself, a long time ago."

And then, at long last, Suzaku slumped forward against the ground, unconsciousness taking over completely. Kneeling one last time, Kallen reached her hand against his carotid artery, and nodded in satisfaction when she still felt his pulse.

"I could easily kill you now and end everything while your so-called 'curse' is inactive." Kallen whispered down to Suzaku while her Geass faded out, returning her eye to its normal blue color. "I want to, and I know you would want me to, but Lelouch wouldn't want you to die, and it's his word that matters the most."

She then got back up and turned around. But before she took off down the hallway toward the hangar, she spoke one last thing to the unconcious form of Suzaku Kururugi.

"Be grateful for that fact."

* * *

With her enemy's hyena like laughter echoing from her radio, Nagisa Chiba banked to the side as the charging _Percival_ flew past, its particle drill lance missing her _Akatsuki Jikisanshiyo_ by mere meters. However, while she was able to dodge, one of her comrades was not so lucky, and the _Percival_'s lance tore through the _Akatsuki_ like a pencil through notebook paper. Chiba gritted her teeth at how the Vampire managed to kill one of her own when she had dodged.

_This bastard's far better than I took him for._ Chiba thought with dismay. Originally she had thought of Luciano Bradley as little more than a sadist whose talents were little more than brutality toward Britannia's enemies. However, as she had just learned, he was indeed a sadist and a brute, but he also had great skill in a knightmare frame too.

"I dare say this hunt is turning into a bore at best…" Luciano sighed with disapproval, as he turned around and fired off a burst from his thigh mounted hadron blasters. Chiba and a few others managed to dodge, but the Vampire's attack still claimed at least two more from her side. "Surely there is at least one decent prey among you lot!"

"All of you disengage, you'll only get yourselves killed!" Chiba commanded to the other _Akatsukis_ as she narrowly avoided a grouping of hadron bolts.

"What about you Kyofu One?" one of the _Akatsuki_ pilots replied, voice filled with grave concern.

"Don't worry about me." was all Chiba replied with. Not even bothering to see if the _Akatsukis_ were moving away or not, she quickly set to work on ridding the world of Luciano Bradley.

Deciding she had enough dodging attacks and not enough making her own, Chiba activated her radiant wave shield and charged head long at the _Percival_, her katen yaibatou raised to strike. While she managed to deflect the hadron blasts long enough to get in close, drop the radiant shield and then strike, Luciano was just as quick to raise his shield and deflect her slashes, before knocking the blade away so that he could lunge at the mono-eyed knightmare with his particle lance.

Fortunately, Chiba saw it coming and just managed reactivate the energy shield, repelling the lance in turn. Upon seeing the lance tip grind across the crimson barrier, the Holy Sword member made a note to herself to kiss Rakshata the next time she saw her. But before she could even think about fulfilling that agenda, she had to survive the fight, and thus she pulled back a little so that she could drop her radiant shield and fire a barrage from her handgun at the Knight of Ten.

"This one actually has some fight in it!" Luciano howled with intrigue while he evaded the bulk of the gunfire with practiced agility and at the same time using his shield to deflect the few bullets that he couldn't dodge.

"More than you'll ever realize, you damned vampire!" Chiba growled over the radio, seething at how the Vampire of Britannia was making light of her attacks.

"Oh? So my opponent is a woman…" Luciano acknowledged with some surprise, the sound of his voice becoming disturbingly husky at the same time. At that, while he was still in the middle of a maneuver, his shield split open and launched a pair of missiles at the _Akatsuki_, making Chiba activate her radiant shield once more to deflect them.

However, rather than remain stationary and fire more missiles, Bradley had the _Percival_ fly forward at a speed that even put Chiba's fine tuned _Akatsuki_ to shame and smashed the tip of its drill lance against the energy shield once more. The invisible energy barrier held as before, but the focused, rotating kinetic energy of the drill was slowly piercing through the crimson field, making a high pitched shrilling sound like that of a dental instrument in the process. All this was happening as Chiba could only stare into the Britannian machine's vehement blood red eyes.

"You seem to have some potential, so I will make a deal with you: if you surrender to me and become my slave, I will only rape you _twice_ and let you keep a _fifth_ of your flesh and blood." Luciano spoke over the radio, his voice filled with a bloodlust that made his nickname frightfully literal. "What say you? Isn't it an attractive offer?"

Chiba sneered with hate and disgust at her enemy's "offer". "Sorry, I'll only settle for your head!"

Wanting to catch him off guard, Chiba pushed her _Akatsuki_ forward, thus using the radiant wave shield to shove the _Percival_ away with great force. She then switched her weapons control over to her rockets and fired one directly at the enemy machine.

But then, once more at a speed that should have been impossible even for a seventh generation knightmare frame, the _Percival_ actually disengaged its particle lance, reached up with its right hand and _grabbed_ the rocket in midair. Its hand enclosed around the midsection, thus keeping its radiation warhead from activating, and though it was still generating propulsion, it did not move any further to its target. Chiba audibly gasped at the sight of this, and realized just what she was facing off against.

Luciano for his part just snickered at the whole display, while crushing the rocket between the _Percival_'s fingers and throwing it aside like an empty beer can. "It appears you lack proper manners, especially in front of your betters. Very well, I will simply force you to submit!"

And then he launched himself again, this time putting all the power the _Percival_ could muster into its float unit. Chiba fired off her handgun once more, but the unusual knightmare side-slipped to the left and evaded while subsequently moving in for the kill. Knowing that the energy shield would not hold off that particle lance forever, Chiba made an upward slash with her chain sword that knocked the drill off course, allowing her to escape being staked. She then tried to bring her left arm up so that she could fire directly into the _Percival_'s exposed torso, but Luciano moved faster, hoisting his shield around and thrusting it forward, with the center spike piercing the _Akatsuki_'s armor easily.

The damage was minimal as the spike had been too short to make it into her machine's more vital mechanics, but the move still surprised Chiba. In response she brought her handgun back up again, but just as she fired off a burst, the _Percival_ backed some distance off and then banked away so fast it almost look like a grey and purple colored blur. The enemy machine then quite literally began to fly circles around her, banking in one direction after the other as Chiba helplessly fired at it. It was quite obvious he was toying with her now; he even occasionally fired off a burst or two from the hadron blasters just to keep her further on edge. While the Knight of the Round was obviously moving too fast to properly aim his own shots, they were enough to force Chiba to move some small distance to keep them from hitting. It didn't help that she had used up most of the energy for her radiant wave shield already.

Then without warning, the Knight of Ten stopped his encirclement and lunged at her directly. Once more he thrust his particle drill lance to impale, but Chiba narrowly deflected his first attack with her chain sword, and then the second, and then the third. For the rest she banked and dodged, avoiding the drill, but being unable to counterattack.

"Is that all you've got, wench!?" she heard the Knight of Ten roar over her knightmare's radio, now entirely in a frenzy. "More, more! I demand MORE!"

"Shut up!" Chiba snapped, her own aggression rising against the Knight of Ten's ecstasy.

Finally seeing an opportunity after the Vampire's latest slash, Chiba drove her _Akatsuki_ to lunge at the _Percival_ with her chain sword. At least that was what she made it appear as; just as the enemy knightmare raised its missile shield, which she knew it would, she activated her thrusters and made it climb. Just as Luciano realized it was a feint, she was literally on top of him, from which she flipped forward and descended upside down, her blade ready to slash open the exposed cockpit block…

And then suddenly, well before Chiba could see what had happened, the _Percival_ spun a full one hundred eighty degrees and thrust its drill lance into her machine's right elbow, shattering it and sending the lower right arm, which was still clutching the sword, falling away. Chiba's eyes widened in pure horror as she realized her best chance at killing the Knight of Ten was now literally out of reach.

But the Vampire was not done yet. Just as Chiba raised her opposite arm to fire the remains of her handgun's ammunition, the _Percival_ brought the shield up, and at point blank launched a missile that took away the entire left side of her knightmare as well as one of the air glide wings in the resulting explosion. The Holy Sword then tried to fly back so that she could fire her slash harken, but the Knight of Ten flew right up to her before she could make any significant distance. At that point, knowing that death was imminent, Chiba relented and engaged the ejection system.

No sooner than her cockpit pod had rocketed away did the _Percival_ slam its drill into the center of the _Akatsuki Jikisanshiyo_, ripping it apart straight from the center and causing an even greater explosion than the one moments ago. However, that did little, if any, damage to the _Percival_ itself, as it flew through the fire and came upon Chiba's now defenseless cockpit pod.

"Question: what do people value the most?" Luciano rang out as the cockpit pods monitors were filled with the _Percival_'s impassive angular faceplate. Sensing that his opponent was too taken back by shock and fear to respond, the Knight of Ten was quick to answer his own question. "That's right, life! The very same essence that drives you to fight is also the essence that causes you to quake with fear at the potential of losing!"

Chiba looked around to see if any friendly units were incoming. However, as the main sensor unit of any knightmare was normally mounted in the head, her radar's range was severely limited. As such, there was no way to know if help was coming. _Tohdoh…_

"Oh but don't worry." Luciano said as he took hold of the pod, Chiba feeling the metal shutter against the _Percival_'s hand manipulators. "I promise that you will not die for a _while_. In fact, I intend to make sure you live for as long as possible…!"

"Funny, because _you_ won't live for much longer!" a new, rough toned female voice interrupted over an open channel.

And just like that, Chiba's help came in the form of eight_ Guren Isshikis. _Zero Squadron had arrived.

Breathing a sigh of relief, the Holy Sword pilot could only watch as the _Percival_ abandoned its hold on the cockpit pod in order to dodge two radiant wave beam attacks. It fired back at the eight newcomers, but in a synchronized beat they danced across the air and moved against the _Percival_ with killer intent. Though much like Chiba's _Akatsuki_, the eight had little hope in keeping up with the Knight of Ten's high mobility customized knightmare, their number and combined skill surely would make up the difference.

Then one of the _Gurens_, which the IFF callsigned as Rei Seven, broke off and moved to pick up Chiba's cockpit pod while the other seven chased the _Percival_ like wolves. Upon taking hold, its pilot opened a channel, with the video window displaying a fairly lanky looking Japanese man clad in one of the units' crimson pilot suits, with slicked back black hair and tan skin. "Sorry for the wait Kyofu One. We came as fast as we could."

Chiba was relieved, but she forced her face to remain stern. "I don't remember asking for your aid, Lieutenant…"

"Kidomaru Namiashi at your service." the Zero Squadron pilot finished for her with some amusement, though at what Chiba didn't know. "And no you didn't. We came under orders from Colonel Asahina."

"What?" Chiba demanded. "Then who's fighting the other Knights of the Round?"

Kidomaru looked up as if to remember that, all the while he began his flight back to the _Ikaruga_ with his cargo. "Well, 1st and 3rd Squads are fighting it out against the _Mordred_, while Colonel Senba is leading 2nd Squad and a few others against the _Galahad_. As for the _Tristan_, Rei Three is handling it. Additional Britannian reinforcements haven't arrived yet either."

_Of course not. They probably think we have an unlimited supply of Raikous_. Chiba thought. She then sighed visibly, now resigned to leaving the battle early; at least she lived to fight another day. "Very well, but wouldn't you be better off aiding your squadmates against Bradley?"

"Oh, I think those seven will be more than enough to handle that monster." Kidomaru smiled.

"What makes you believe that?" Chiba wondered, visibly showing she was missing what the other pilot was referring to.

Kidomaru's voice took on a more disturbing tone at that. "Because to hunt a monster, one must send even bigger monsters. That said, we in Zero Squadron all have one thing in common with each other: we are all dragons…"

* * *

**Aries Palace Hangar  
Pendragon, Holy Britannian Empire  
March 26, 2025 a.t.b.**

Knowing that every possible second was not to be wasted, Kallen raced down the hallway until she finally came across a pair of metal doors, immediately knowing that her destination was on the other side. _Finally…_

Tapping on the control pad at the side, she was happy to learn that the door was unlocked, likely due to Sayoko's efforts. So without any obstacles to obstruct her, Kallen had the doors slide open, thus allowing her to enter into the hangar. Inside, her eyes immediately found the _Gawain_, the black and gold knightmare standing in the middle of the bay like a great statue, completely dwarfing the other vehicle that were around it. Even when it was inactive, Kallen had to admit that it was a very dynamic machine; not as much as her _Guren_ of course, but still something to marvel at, in spite of the fact it was originally created to serve Britannia. From there it was only a matter of running down a catwalk or two in order to get to the onyx knightmare's cockpit area.

But then once she arrived at the cockpit, Kallen found something she wasn't expecting: Lelouch's still unconscious form, laying across the metal floor just next to his machine. The Black Knight raised an eyebrow at that. _Why didn't Sayoko put him inside…?_

Only a few seconds later did she realize the reason. Moving around Lelouch, she came up to the cockpit and pressed the hatch release. When the canopy opened, Kallen's face degenerated into shocking realization. "What the-? There were supposed to be two seats!"

Indeed, the cockpit was completely different from when she and Lelouch first hijacked the _Gawain_ at Kamine Island. Instead of a large cockpit with two seats on a diagonal form, with the bottom meant for a pilot and the top meant for a gunner, the _Gawain_ now had a much smaller cockpit with a single seat. Sure, it was still roomier than most knightmare frame cockpits, but it was hardly large enough to hold two people at once.

Kallen looked at the open cockpit, and then at Lelouch, just as another explosion sounded in the background. It was obvious what she had to do. "You better not wake up…" she muttered at the unconscious prince.

Hoisting her captive into her arms like a baby, she then threw one leg into the cockpit, and the other without dropping him. After that, she sat down and closed the canopy, before situating Lelouch on her lap, making him lay against her without getting in the way of her arms or eyes. It was a difficult fit, but after a bit of movement, Kallen managed to get him into a position where he wouldn't obstruct her, though it required that his back be pressed against her breasts. She managed to ignore it, somehow.

Fortunately, it took even less time for her to start up the _Gawain_, as Sayoko had taken the time to slip the activation key into its slot, and Kallen was able to figure out the control setup rather quickly. After going through all the pre-sortie checks, she quickly activated the float system and lifted the knightmare off the ground.

* * *

"You're skilled as ever, Guilford!" Alfred shouted as he parried twin slashes from Guilford's MVS. He then forced him back with a counter slash. "But there's no way you can beat me in that antique!"

Guilford was too busy trying to stay alive to reply, but the point was still made. Whatever Alfred's machine was, it was far superior in performance to his _Gloucester_, and that fact had been apparent throughout their fight. While Alfred's knightmare was relatively undamaged, massive bits and pieces were missing from Guilford's violet colored machine. It was still largely intact, but there were cuts all across the torso, its left shoulder pauldron had been slice off at the end, the right leg had been sacrificed in order for Guilford to dodge a glancing blow, and the center factsphere sensor was non-functional thanks to a diagonal cut that all but decapitated the Britannian machine. And now it looked like the Yggdrasil drive had taken a hit, because the _Gloucester_ was now losing power at an accelerated rate.

_I have to end this now, before he kills me._ Guilford thought, as his eyes were switching between his center monitor and his diagnostics readout. The damage was mounting too quickly, and he had yet to score a significant blow.

Trying to buy some distance, the _Gloucester_ launched its slash harkens once more at Alfred's _Guren_. Alfred mentally sighed at that, as it meant his opponent was getting desperate, and it also didn't help that he had piloted a _Gloucester_ before and knew the exact flight velocity of those harkens. Thus he banked to the side to avoid both while also bringing up his Ryogo Otsugata Tozantou to cut each of them down the center, right before he charged once more.

That's when Guilford did something that even Alfred didn't expect. Having replaced the left MVS while Alfred had evaded the harkens, the _Gloucester_ drew its machine gun back out and opened up with a burst. By instinct Alfred activated his radiant shield to absorb the bullets, which allowed Guilford to dodge to the left and try to catch him at his side with his MVS. Guilford slashed and Alfred parried, but before he could attack again, Guilford leveled his machine gun and forced Alfred to evade. By the time Alfred fired back with his _Guren_'s radiant wave surger, the _Gloucester_ was on the move again.

The Black Knight groaned as he stitched fire across the sky at the _Gloucester_, his target flying too fast for him to get a proper bead on it. The _Gloucester_ in turn continued to pepper him with its machine gun, forcing Alfred to keep on the move as well, which was also a factor toward his inability to line up a shot. And then with the suddenness of a lightning strike, the _Gloucester_'s flight path changed, as it now was flying directly at the _Guren_. It continued to fire its assault rifle as it did this, both bullets and grenades, all keeping Alfred on the defensive. This lasted until it apparently ran out of ammo, because Guilford ended up throwing the weapon away just as he was up in front of the _Guren_.

Now with little room to maneuver, Guilford returned to his attack at making light slashes, forcing Alfred to parry with his fork knife, before backing away and moving around to one of his sides to repeat the process. Alfred knew what Guilford was trying to do, but he had no way of reversing it, not when he was on the constant defensive. Fortunately he knew what his opponent was trying to do, keeping him on the ropes until at some point he would move in for the kill. For Alfred, the trick was to recognize when that killing blow was coming and strike back.

_My friend, you have been around Cornelia for far too long._ Alfred thought amidst his seemingly infinite parrying and dodging, remembering that a full offense was one of Cornelia's favorite strategies. Normally the Witch of Britannia carried it out with effectiveness, but as skilled as he was, Guilford was simply not on his mistress' level.

And sure enough, just as Guilford smacked away the knife, did Alfred see him line up to deliver the final cut, in the form of a two handed downward slash that would split the _Guren_'s torso. Alfred would have smiled at how obvious it was, had he not been preoccupied with keeping that attack from hitting. Whereas Guilford had made sure that the knife was well out of reach for deflecting the sword, what he had forgotten was the _Guren_'s opposite arm, the one that held his knightmare's main weapon. Thus Alfred could almost see the surprise dawn on Guilford's face when he brought the left arm up and smashed the claw manipulator into the _Gloucester_'s torso, causing the enemy knightmare to freeze in its attack.

Alfred smiled vehemently as Guilford also realized what he was about to say. "You lose Guilford!"

And with that, Alfred engaged his surger and watched as the _Gloucester_ boiled over, but not before Guilford ejected the cockpit. Alfred then flew back just as the violet colored knightmare exploded in a great multicolored flash, one amidst the many other "fireworks" that had been lit above Pendragon that night. And while Alfred wasn't sure what happened to the cockpit block, he was sure that this wouldn't be the last time he would see of Gilbert G.P. Guilford, much less the last time he would fight the Spearhead of the Empire.

But Alfred had no time to celebrate. All of a sudden his sensors were picking up a new arrival from right below him: the ornate black and gold form of the knightmare frame _Gawain_.

"Holy…!" Alfred let out as the six and a half meter tall knightmare came flying up to meet him. But before he could attack it, or find a way to without getting vaporized, his radio picked up a new transmission.

"Rei Leader to Rei Two, don't attack! It's me!" the voice of Kallen Kouzuki spoke through Alfred's radio, sound only.

Alfred became visibly relieved as he realized it was his commander at the _Gawain_'s controls instead of the Black Prince. "Damn it Lead, don't scare me like that! I almost did something I would have regretted later."

Kallen let out a small laugh, the _Gawain_'s ruby camera eyes seemingly gleaming as she did. "I can guarantee you wouldn't have won. Contact Shogun One and inform him that my side of the mission is done, and then you can escort me back to the _Ikaruga_."

"You sure about that Major?" Alfred asked. For some reason he was sensing that something was amiss. "Don't you want to blow some Britannians away before you RTB?"

"Negative, I've dealt with enough Britannians for one night. Make the call, Rei Two." Kallen replied, sounding almost entirely spent in her tone.

Alfred could only wonder why his commander was behaving so strangely, as he would have figured the Red Dragoness would have wanted a piece of the action before they returned. But regardless, he didn't say anything else about it, instead dropping into formation with the _Gawain_ as it began its flight back to their mothership, as well as establishing a transmission with General Tohdoh's _Zangetsu_.

* * *

"…Acknowledged Rei Two. Over." Tohdoh replied and signed off just as quickly. He had to fight himself hard, even in the midst of his duel with Cornelia, to suppress a grin. The Black Knights were once more in possession of their Black King. _Now everything is left on Miss C.C.'s end…_

But he was still in the middle of a battle, and thus he continued to dance his _Zangetsu_ with Cornelia's _Vincent_ in their twisted tango of death. Cornelia fired more VARIS rounds at him, and Tohdoh deflected them with his radiant wave shield before evading the remaining stream after. He then pressed the attack and drew forward, bringing down the seidotou in a fierce slash that at long last cleaved the _Vincent_'s VARIS in two. This forced Cornelia to fall back to her lance once more, and she was not at all pleased about that. "Damn you…!"

"Get in line." Tohdoh replied with an off comment. He hated to admit it, but in spite of his earlier remarks to her, the Witch of Britannia was still a skilled warrior, to the point that he had not been able to do any major damage to her for the entire battle. It was a shame that he wouldn't be able to kill her, but at least he gave her a very hard run.

After he parried another spin slash from the lance, Tohdoh fired the remaining ammo in his machine cannons. None of his bullets actually hit the _Vincent_, which Tohdoh anticipated, as the attack was meant to by him a large amount of distance so he could make the following call. "Shogun One to Hebi One, sitrep. Is your mission complete?"

The voice of a hurried Shinichiro Tamaki soon filled the radio. "Ah, yeah Shogun One! Kento-sorry, Kaitou One and I just blew Bedlam and the crazies are already running around. Mission is definitely accomplished on our end!"

Now Tohdoh allowed himself to smirk. Besides being part of their public deception toward liberating Zero, Britannian authorities would be occupied for hours or perhaps days tracking down all of the escaped patients from the now non-existent Bethlem Imperial Hospital, thus plunging the city into even deeper chaos. Perhaps even longer than that, given the parting gift the Black Knights had in store for their former "masters".

"Acknowledged Hebi One. Good work." Tohdoh replied, and then signed off once more with the finality of an executioner. While this whole operation wasn't quite enough to satisfy Tohdoh's desire of vengeance for Japan's destruction, it would hold him for the time being. Besides, once Zero had fully returned there would only be more opportunities later.

Thus, he switched channels to the Black Knights' broad frequency to issue his final orders. "Shogun One to all units, mission complete! I repeat, mission complete! All units disengage and return to base. _Ikaruga_, you may fire your Gefjun barrage on my mark."

One after another, the various _Akatsukis_ carried out their orders and disengaged from their individual battles, turning around and flying toward the east in massive formation, where the _Ikaruga_ would be awaiting them. Needless to say, Cornelia, the Knights of the Round, and all the other Britannians were quick to notice this. The Second Princess herself gritted her teeth in fury as she watched the Black Knights simultaneously make a break for it.

"No, none of you are getting away! Not this time, Tohdoh!" she shouted as she looked around her. Already, several of her allies were in pursuit, but only her _Vincent_ and the Knights of the Round machines would be able to keep up with their prey.

Tohdoh just grinned and replied with coolness, before he turned the _Zangetsu_ around himself. "Sorry, but we win this round, and rest assured there will soon be more where that came from. _Sayonara Majohime._"

And with that he disembarked with the rest of his forces. Cornelia tried to pursue him, but by then it was too late, as a spray of Gefjun missiles fell from the sky around the Britannian formation, and began generating Gefjun Waves. Though Gefjun technology had long been a staple of the Black Knights, these missiles were the latest of Rakshata's trademark creation, with many innovations having been implemented since the insurrection in Area 11. As such, the Britannian machines, including the knightmares of Cornelia and the Knights of the Round, were all greatly unprepared and undefended.

The last thing Tohdoh heard before all of the Britannian knightmares froze in midair and the lights in the city of Pendragon all went out at the same time, was the sound of Cornelia's enraged howl slowly dying away over his radio. His grin only grew in response.

For the first time in eight years, the Black Knights had ridden into battle against Britannia, and their battle had ended only in victory.

* * *

**Location Unknown  
March 27th, 2025 a.t.b.**

Sitting upon his throne, V.V. could only sigh as he watched the monitor go from displaying the Black Knights' retreat to suddenly showing nothing but static. Though he no longer saw what was going on over the skies of Pendragon, he knew exactly what had happened when the screen turned to snow: the battle was over, and the Black Knights had recovered their long lost king.

"I told you Charles." V.V. muttered. His face remained passive and his voice pleasant, but his mind was seething with displeasure. "I told you years ago that you should have killed Lelouch and wiped out the remaining Japanese when you had the chance. And now it looks like you have a new mess to clean up."

"I suppose we now have no choice but to take proper measures?" the man standing next to him asked in a sure tone. Despite what had happened, the man actually sounded pleased at how events had turned out. "Once Lelouch regains his memories and returns to being Zero, it is only certain that he will wish to take control of the Order as well."

"That has already been surmised." V.V. replied to his confident. "But it will still be sometime before he will be able to track this place. For the moment we are safe."

"Safety can be quite fleeting, as I have learned from my military career. Besides, isn't this the reason you brought me into the Order and gave me this power? In anticipation for such an event?" the man asked in turn.

V.V. nodded in acknowledgement. "Indeed it is."

"Then you should have no issue if I were to prepare our forces for the coming battle." the man stated.

"I do not disagree with you. But are you sure you can handle Lelouch? After all, he is the reason why you suffered humiliation in Area 11… 'Orange'." V.V. replied.

In spite of the mention of that particular name, Jeremiah Gottwald venomously smiled down at his leader. His single eye shimmered with a barely hidden anticipation, while the orange half-mask he wore on the left side of his face only reflected the surrounding light in a sort of twisted ferocity.

"Oh, but I have only learned from that humiliation, and I am more than willing to return the favor to that child…" Jeremiah continued to speak with a growing vehemence. "Now that I have attained my own power, Lelouch and C.C. will be of no match for me. Your expectations will be more than satisfied, I promise you."

* * *

**Duchy of Roswell, Area 1 (North America), Holy Britannian Empire  
March 26, 2025 a.t.b.**

It was funny how in only a matter of minutes things went from hellish to silent. Gone were the sounds of flying shells and explosions, and in their place was the tranquil silence, with only the sounds of Kallen's own breathing and that of her "cargo's" being enough to fight its totality. Though she was still quiet anxious from all of the recent events, she allowed herself to be at ease for perhaps the first time since this all began and let the _Gawain_'s autopilot fly her back to the _Ikaruga_. The ten _Guren__s_ around her would keep any potential enemies at bay, thus allowing for a relatively smooth ride to the ship.

Still sitting in her lap with his head against her shoulder, Lelouch remained asleep and sound, completely at peace and vulnerable to the world around him. Gazing upon his face, Kallen once again had to remark that very few things about him had changed since she last saw him at Kamine Island. His face still looked more like a sculpture's than that of a living, breathing human's, even with the scar across his left eye. As well, he was still remarkably thin, even though it felt like he had gained a few pounds of muscle while she had been carrying him. And above all else, when he wasn't leading the charge into battle or pretending to be a villain, he could still be counted off as 'innocent' to the world, which was why he blended in at Ashford Academy so well.

_The more things change, the more they stay the same I guess._ Kallen thought to herself, her attention moving back to the main monitor. There was still nothing but open sky ahead, although it looked as though there was also some amount of cloud cover, something of a rainstorm in the making. It was likely for that reason why Ohgi and the others had chosen to hide the _Ikaruga_ in this particular area, even though it put them dangerously close to their target area, she surmised. Not that it mattered anymore, as the battle had been won and the Black Knights would have no need to remain in Britannia for any longer, and neither would the Britannians be able to pursue them with their capital reeling from the chaos. Overall, while there were some parts of the trip that Kallen had liked, she was quite willing to get the hell out of this evil land and back to her new home, as were the rest of her comrades she imagined.

"…_Mother…"_ a sudden murmur broke Kallen's thoughts. At first alarmed, she looked back at Lelouch while mentally preparing for a potential fight, only to realize that he was still sleeping. She became visibly relieved at that fact; she already went through hell with Suzaku, and she had no desire to take on the new and combat improved Lelouch in this tight space.

"…_Nunnally… why…?"_ he continued to murmur, his face quickly turning to one of sadness, like that of a little boy's even. A tear had even begun to well up from his left eye, and slowly but surely drifted down the crevasse of his scar.

Kallen only felt her heart sink when she saw this, remembering that it was because Lelouch had lost his mother and almost lost his sister that he was forced into exile, and eventually had taken up the mask of Zero. It was a kind of pain that she had known herself, many times; first when she had lost her brother Naoto, and then…

Without thinking any further, she softly reached a finger up to his face and wiped away the tear. From there, reached her arms around him to comfort him, with one hand keeping him against her body while the other stroked his raven black hair, almost lovingly. That seemed to content him, as his face softened deeply, once again taking that expression of purity that he had once held, before he was forced into the dark world he dwelled in and would again.

It pained Kallen to know that once his memory was restored, he would be forced to take up that black mask and become both a hero and a villain to the world. Even moreso when the face beneath the mask had once been that of an innocent boy, one who only wanted a world of peace for his beloved sister. Yes, that perhaps was amongst the vilest of crimes humanity could perform, even more so than the eradication of an entire population or the subjugation of a foreign land that held no hostility. The robbing of a child's innocence.

"Lelouch… I still don't understand whether I follow you as a product of Geass, or by my own will…" Kallen whispered once more in her softest voice to the sleeping form. "But regardless, you have me nonetheless, and I will help you carry whatever burden that is forced upon you."

She stroked his hair once more, before turning back to the controls. "You can rely on me to the end."

* * *

TO BE CONTINUED…


	8. Chapter 08: Remembrance

"_What is a hero? I like to think that a hero is a man or woman that, at the core of their being, is willing to do what is right and just while also willingly suffering the injustice of the world. In other words, a righteous crusader that challenges an evil king when others yield to tyranny or a father who searches through the garbage for his child's lost teddy bear when the aunts and uncles are afraid to get their clothes dirty.'"  
_- Euphemia li Britannia

**Chapter 08: Remembrance**

It felt as though he were falling; only he wasn't. It felt as though he was sinking, yet he did not feel his own weight. Instead of the feeling of a plummet, he felt more like he were simply being drawn downward by an unknown power, much like the current of a river or the pull of a vortex. Yet, instead of it being a physical force that was making him drop, it felt more like the power of a conscious action, as if _something_ was willingly drawing him downward. He could not see what he was being drawn to, as his face remained staring 'upward', and even then all he could see was the darkness that surrounded him. In vain, he tried to 'hear' his surroundings, but just as there was no light in the void, there was also no sound. For a time, he even considered whether he was still in reality or not.

_"Am I dead?"_ he felt his mouth utter, though he could not hear his own words. He wasn't even sure if he was breathing or not, much less exhaling in order to generate verbal sound. Thus, for a time, perhaps even an eternity, all he could do was continue his silent descent, drawing deeper and deeper into the darkness.

As he could not feel outward from himself, he instead chose to see if he could feel inward. But once more it was in vain, as he could not even feel his own heartbeat or any other inner workings of his body. He tried to move his eyes and then blink, but he was unable to do either, as if the very impulses required had faded from his mind. He then attempted to move his fingers or his toes, but though he was sure the command had been issued, he felt neither twitch. Not even his attempt to draw breath through his mouth and his nostrils seemed to draw any kind of feeling to his consciousness.

Now he was beginning to wonder whether he was still in his physical body or not, or if somehow his soul had been removed. It was only logical; had he been able to perform a physical action or reflex, surely his body would have told him he had succeeded in doing so. Surely he would have sensed something in the darkness, from any of his five working senses.

And then, without cause or warning, something had occurred. Something that he couldn't describe, but something that he instantly knew was real and vivid. Something, that he _felt_ happen.

He suddenly felt his feet rest against solid ground, though he could still not see it. He felt as his center of gravity shifted in order to balance himself upon his new foundation. He stumbled, almost instinctively, to keep from falling on his face, and in the process he felt his arms shift to maintain his equilibrium. Then he realized he could feel his eyes blink once, and then twice, as they attempted to adjust to the void around him. It was a slow process, but he began to feel his body again, with each feeling familiar and yet still unique in each one's own right.

_…Great tidings upon ye, young prodigal…_

The joy he felt at being able to feel again came to an abrupt end as he turned his head to and from to locate the source of those words. Yes, they were merely words because he had not heard them spoken out as a voice. Instead, it felt as though the words had suddenly appeared in his mind, with each letter appearing and fading in and out of the void. It was almost as though the originator was nowhere, and yet strangely, everywhere.

And with the same amount of suddenness, his surroundings were made clear to him. While there was no one else around him, he thought he could actually make out the sounds of voices in the distance. A mysterious choir that sang out as one, all in a pitch that could be considered both light and dark at the same time. Much like whatever source that was behind those words in his head, the voices seemed to have been coming from everywhere and nowhere as well.

He then deigned to look down, from which he saw that he was standing on a platform or pedestal of some kind. One that was apparently made of multi-colored glass at its peak, patterned in similar design to the windows of a church. Surrounding his foundation and suspended in the dark were other stained glass images that each depicted a unique, individual scene of some kind. From one to the other, he looked between the images, each of which seemed familiar to him in some way, but he couldn't put his mind to identifying them. At least momentarily.

It was then that he realized that each scene represented a moment in human history, with the saint-like figures displayed being individuals who had carved their names into legend: Ramesses the Great, overseeing what was assumed to be the Battle of Kadesh from his chariot; Mursili II gazing up at the sky, watching as the moon began to eclipse the sun; Nebuchadnezzar II looking toward the Hanging Gardens around him; Cyrus the Great gazing out over the vastness of his newly founded Persian Empire; Julius Caesar marshalling his Roman legions to overtake an unseen enemy; William the Conqueror sitting upon the throne of Britannia, his eyes reaching out to all before him; Saladin sitting upon his war horse, scimitar risen as if to signal his army to charge against the invading Franks; Oda Nobunaga standing over a field of battle with a katana in each hand; George Washington kneeling in prayer in the middle of a frozen landscape, presumably Valley Forge. And the last he recognized amongst the various images was the striking figure of Napoleon Bonaparte, first President of the European Union, standing in front of the EU banner, his power easily perceived by those whose eyes fell upon him.

Various scenes, each one depicting a ruler of man whose deeds became so great that they were forever engraved into the past. And yet as he gazed at each image, he was aware of two certain commonalities between them. The first was aside from Washington, whose eyes were closed in prayer, each leader had one or both eyes colored in red, while those with just the one had their opposite eyes in "normal" colors. And the second thing that linked the images together was a curious design at the base of each: a red wing-like sigil, likable to that of a bird taking flight.

_…Greeting__ to thee most fain upon hitherto hallowed ground…_

"Who are you?" he heard himself speak with his own voice and his own ears. His eyes still scanned the abyss before him, but they found nothing.

_…Knoweth not Path before I…_

_…Knoweth not Sooth before I…_

_…Knoweth not Radiance before I…_

_…Knoweth not Majesty before I…_

_…Knoweth not Lord before I…_

The look he expressed toward those words was a peculiar one. For some reason it felt as though those words held more meaning than they should have, and yet he had no reason to put any weight on them. "I don't understand…"

_…All thy qualms to be illuminated in due time__…_

Still not finding a visual source for what was entering his mind's eye, he phrased his next question carefully. "Are you the one who brought me to this… realm?"

…_Indeed…_

"Why?" he demanded with certain force.

…_To deliver back in bossoms of thy form primordial…_

___…To guide with soft caressing palms on hist'ry's rightful course…_

_____…To promote would-be Pawn of farcical board on to throne of forgott'n King…_

"Are you saying I have not been true to myself all this time?" he asked with confusion evident. "That I have been living a lie?"

_____...Doth long gestation thou call "life" wrapped verily in fabrication and deceit, from the day emergence of thy mother's womb to your exile to the East…_

_____…Yet merely fragment of time ago thou call years…_

_____...Thou broke thy binding chains..._

_____...With great avenging fury, thou smelted it..._

_____...And thou emerged from flames of rebirth, wrapped in form bereft of impurities..._

_____...And with Wings of Ages worn as cape..._

_____...Befitting arms for King with tongue on his path of conquest..._

_____...A sword delivering lesions a mortal may not..._

_____…Yet akin to sour note upon sweet ardor, t__hy path cast with shadow once more, becoming deathly cold and still..._

_____...Less than a man, less than a shadow ..._

_____...Merely a cur begging at thy master's table.. _

_____...But now thy chains undone once more..._

_____...And thy thirst for vindication proportionate..._

He contemplated those words. "…What is that you want from me when I regain this power?"

_____…Continue the course…_

_____...Persevere as thou made instinct..._

_____…Become as great a King as those that are inscribed before you..._

_____...if not transcend them as Saint…_

_____…Command legion of thy making against your hated enemy, those who sought to stifle thy destiny... _

_____...and bring both torm'nt and salvation on realm in which you dwell…_

_____...Attain to thy Birthright..._

Suddenly he felt the urge to look down at himself. Instead of clothes that he was used to, he was dressed in a black and gold suit of some kind, with a similarly black and gold outlined cape draped over his body, concealing him like a phantom. He wondered why he was dressed that way, and yet for a reason he couldn't explain, this ensemble felt natural to his form as water.

___…__The earthen fields has now been laid asunder…_

_____…That which was preordained placed into motion once more…_

And then from his clothing he looked back onto the glass floor, slowly realizing that it too displayed an image. The image of a man wearing a black mask, one that held a gold variation of that winged sigil, as well as wearing the same attire that he had on him now.

_____...Feareth not..._

_____...For I speak not with recompense but stern benevolence..._

_____…Go now, Young Prodigal…_

_____…Go forth and lead your exalted march…_

_____…Knowing that thou and thou alone…_

_____...Have shewn worth and fav'r upon my watchful eye..._

_____...Becometh my hand, my fist..._

_____...Wield of power of King..._

_____...To steward the wayward sons of man..._

_____…And hour of reunion both near and far, bid farewell to thee…_

_____...Upon hitherto hallowed grounds..._

And darkness soon became eclipsed with light.

* * *

**Black Knights air battleship **_**Ikaruga****  
**_**Pacific Ocean****  
March 26th, 2025 a.t.b.**

In as much of a shock to his brain as a surge of electricity, Lelouch nearly jumped out of the chair he was in as a gush of ice cold water was dropped upon his head and body. At least, he would have jumped, had he not apparently been strapped down.

"Sometimes the old tricks work the best…" an offhand female voice said from behind him, whose owner had apparently dumped the water.

As his dormancy came to an abrupt ending with a mixture of coughs and hacks, Lelouch felt his eyes flutter open to meet a wall of light. He quickly squinted as his vision adjusted itself in order to absorb the light rays more easily, and in the process he managed to get a decent look at his surroundings. He saw that he was in a gray colored room, with no sign of decoration or furnishing, nor were there any windows or portholes outside an apparent mirror that was at the end of the room. It didn't take that much out of him to realize he was in an interrogation room.

_I was knocked out and captured…_ Lelouch remembered to great dismay. His head shifted to and from to see if there was anything that stood out in the room, anything that he could somehow exploit to make an escape. He knew it was next to impossible, especially when he was strapped down as he was, but he didn't want to give up any potential chances based on uncertainty. That had been one of Bismarck's lessons when he instructed him on resisting capture and interrogation, which Lelouch was hoping would serve him for whatever was to come.

That's when his apparent interrogator stepped in front of him: a woman, perhaps a little younger than himself, with green hair, gold colored eyes and garbed in a tight black dress with a silver winged sword insignia emblazed at its front. She didn't seem to fit the standard physical profile of an interrogator, but Lelouch knew that wouldn't have any bearing on her skills. Looking up toward her eyes with a hard stare, Lelouch also saw that she wasn't looking back at him with the standard predatory gaze most interrogators used for intimidation. Instead, she eyed him with a mixture of curiosity and something that resembled recollection, as if she were remembering something or multiple things as she gazed upon him.

For what seemed like years to him, the woman encircled him, taking in every bit and detail of his form that her eyes could absorb. Lelouch for his part just watched her, while tempering his breathing to remain calm; he wasn't sure how this woman was planning on breaking him, but he planned on fighting to the end, and for that he needed to keep himself calm. To remain focused, he decided to try and figure out to what ethnicity this woman belonged, as it may also yield a clue to his current position. From there Lelouch summarized from her facial structure that she was European, but for some reason she didn't carry herself like an EU officer, and her dress would have only chafed against EU military protocol. And then there was that insignia on the front of her dress, which didn't belong to any military unit Lelouch could remember. For all of his intelligence, he could not come up with a logical answer to who this woman was or what faction she represented.

And then a sudden flash of imagery in his mind caused him to visibly flinch. In his mind, he could recall several images of the woman before him, only dressed in prison garb rather than the curious attire at present. He could see her rising out of a metallic capsule like Venus in one memory, and then laying on a bed in some type of room in the next, and in another he saw her stuffing her face with slices of pizza. And then another he saw her in a two seat knightmare cockpit, at the controls on the bottom seat.

Needless to say, Lelouch felt something familiar about this woman. "I will presume from the room and décor that I am to be interrogated, and you are my interrogator. If this is true, might I recommend the usage of truth serum in place of pacing around me? I'll be quicker to talk that way."

The woman stopped in her tracks in front of him. "If you must know, I was taking in how much you've grown over these last eight years Lelouch. It feels like you've become an entirely different person from the boy I met in Japan."

Lelouch looked at her perplexedly; while something inside told him she was being truthful, he could at least feign confusion. "I do not know what you are talking about. I've never been to Area 11 and I have never met you before."

"But you have." responded the mysterious woman. "Eight years ago, you and I made a contract and became accomplices. I granted you your power, and in turn you became bound to fulfill that contract."

"Contract? Accomplices?" Lelouch murmured, mind still reeling from confusion over why it all seemed familiar to him.

"Yes. You then went forward and used that power to construct an army, the Black Knights, to wage a righteous crusade against the Holy Britannian Empire." the woman continued to explain.

_The Black Knights…?_ the name also seemed to chime with recognition, but Lelouch wondered how that was possible. It also didn't match up to what his memory was telling him. "…I already told you I've never been to Area 11, now you're telling me I somehow created the one army that came close to overthrowing Britannia? That's impossible, because if that were true, then I would be…"

_"Zero?"_ the woman abruptly stopped him midsentence.

The mere utterance of that name sent a cold feeling down Lelouch's spine. He wanted to respond to that accusation, but he could not find any counterpoint to use, no remark that would prove otherwise. Yes, once more his memories told him that there was no way he could have been Zero, as he had been in Britannia when the Black Rebellion erupted, but something else in his mind was telling him just the opposite, and his body responded accordingly. It all felt so beyond possibility, and yet it felt like the ultimate truth at the same time.

"You cannot live in this lie any longer Lelouch." the woman said, moving forward. "Too long have you been imprisoned in this cage of amnesia, forced to forget about your contract with me and all that you had accomplished."

"What are you doing…?" Lelouch stated as the woman drew closer to him.

Like a lover, she embraced him and stared deep into his eyes. "I am returning to you what was wrongfully taken: your true life and legacy. _From there, only you can decide where it will all go…_"

And just like that, she drew his lips into what would have been a kiss. Upon her touch, a surge of energy suddenly erupted throughout the Prince's body and mind, akin to a dam breaking and letting the contained water overflow from its boundary, or a chained animal forcing its way out of its bindings. Within his spinning psyche, he could feel as various forms and images poured straight into his consciousness in a great storm of power. Each image flashed in front of him so fast that he could barely make out what it contained, but in his mind's eye he could depict them to some degree: the planet Jupiter; the sun eclipsed by two concurrent astral bodies; countless images of himself flashing in and out of a sea of white.

"What is this?" He found himself asking as the images began to accumulate. While his mind reeled, he felt a mixture of emotions overcome him, as fear, uncertainty, and anxiety merged together into one singular form: despair at the unknown.

"This is your true form, once locked away and forgotten." the woman's voice rang out in his mind. "Remember, remember who you really are, and my gift to you. The Power of the King."

In a tunneling, swirling mass of energy, he saw her image fly toward his view, until they were almost face to face. When she drew so close that Lelouch felt as though he could feel her spirit resonate with his, the hair over her forehead parted to reveal that same wing-like sigil he saw before, only now illuminated with mysterious power, while her voice rang out seemingly to the Heavens.

_Now let the Seal be broken!_ Once the command was given, Lelouch felt another flood erupt through him, as memories that had once been restrained began to reassert their rightful place in his consciousness. He remembered with vividness and clarity, as the last fifteen years of his life were erased and replaced with their true form. He saw Nunnally having survived the attack that killed their mother, but now blind and crippled; he saw their arrival in Japan at the Kururugi Shrine, where he had his ill-fated meeting with Suzaku and his family; he saw himself and Suzaku watch as a fleet of Britannian fighters and bombers flew over Mt. Fuji, triggering the beginning of the Second Pacific War; he saw himself at Ashford Academy, surrounded by friends while Nunnally remained at his side; he saw himself cower before a unit of Britannian soldiers, standing before the "dead" form of the green haired woman…

And then he saw himself, with his left eye alight with red energy and the winged sigil emblazed at its base.

"No!" he heard himself verbally call out, but whether within his mind or in the real world he did not know. "I don't want to remember! I don't want to…!"

But it was too late, as he saw in the entirety his campaign against Britannia in Japan, from the rebellion against the purging of Shinjuku, to his assassination of his brother Clovis, to the formation of the original Black Knights. He saw the Battle of Narita, the jailbreak of Kyoshiro Tohdoh, and the revelation of Suzaku as the _Lancelot_'s pilot. And then, encompassing all other memories, he saw his beloved sister Euphemia smiling at him with affection, only for that image to be replaced with one aiming a handgun and shooting Japanese civilians at the SAZ gathering, her eyes ringed with red. Lelouch cried out as he struggled to drown that image, along with the following images of the Black Rebellion from his mind, but he did not have the power to do so.

Pain, sorrow, hatred, disgust, shame, anger, betrayal. All of the emotions he had felt from that time entered him along with his once dormant memories, and Lelouch felt as though he were drowning in fire. In his mind, he attempted to reach out desperately as he felt as though he was going to be carried away by the current, reaching out for someone, anyone, to take hold of his hand and bring him back to stable ground. But no help came, and soon he was pulled away by the forces of his own memories and emotions.

With the same suddenness that had come before, he awoke again and found himself sitting in the middle of the interrogation room. The woman, no, C.C. was now standing beside him, looking him over again to make sure everything that was supposed to have occurred had. When Lelouch turned to face her, she nodded at him and gestured toward the mirror at the end of the room.

And it was there Lelouch saw, upon his reflection, his left eye aglow with the power of Geass once again.

* * *

"It is done." Tohdoh spoke out to the gathered leaders of the Black Knights, his voice even with finality as though he had witnessed an execution.

Around him, the other members shared the sentiment as they continued to observe. By now C.C. had begun to undo Lelouch's bindings so that he could stand up and move about freely; there seemed to no longer be any danger of him acting violent, as he had no reason to. From there, the witch would give him the rundown on all that had passed throughout the last eight years, from the Black Knights' reformation and rapid growth to the latest attack on Pendragon. It would not be long before Lelouch would be brought up to speed, nor before he would once again take up his mantle and mask.

And yet, among the gathered, only Kallen's fists tightened as she had watched Lelouch struggle in that chair, forced to painfully relive and remember the true events of his life eight years ago all in a matter of seconds. It was only Kallen's stomach that gained a sickly feeling as she had watched Lelouch's body relax itself from the strain, the Eleventh Prince once again becoming the exile he once was. And it was only Kallen who turned and left the room, unable to look at the despair on Lelouch's face as he caught sight of his reflection.

* * *

**John Colahan Army Medical Center  
****Pendragon, Holy Britannian Empire  
****March 26th, 2025 a.t.b.**

In a sudden awakening, Suzaku's eyes shot opened to the sight of a white ceiling. At first he tried to raise his body up and off whatever bed he was laying in, but upon doing so he felt a dozen or more wires tug against him, along with a fair amount of bandages across his chest, causing a small measure of pain to shoot through his nerves. Those things, along with a continuous beeping noise to his side, signaled one revelation: he was in a hospital.

"Whoa, easy there sport." Gino spoke from beside him, apparently having been there all this time. Because Suzaku had a hard time turning his head to face his comrade, he instead shifted his eyes to meet the Knight of Three's. "The doc says you've got a ton of bruising and broken bones, so no sudden movements, 'kay?"

Sighing in response, Suzaku settled back into his bed, though it took him some adjusting in order to get comfortable. His apparent wounds weren't helping any, as each shift he made brought forth various amounts of pain in that area. It was due to this that Suzaku once again found himself cursing at the power of Geass, only instead of his displeasure being aimed at his being forced to live when he didn't want to, it was instead aimed at how it blocked out his recognition of pain when it was active. What should only have been a fair amount of bruising was now a nearly broken body, from a combination of pushing himself to his physical limits and Kallen Kouzuki's fierce attacks. He wondered how long he would be out of action.

As if reading his thoughts, Gino answered that question. "Doctor also said you're going to be out for a few weeks until the bones heal up. Whoever you fought in Aries, you got a serious beating out of it."

"It could be worse." Suzaku said trying to sound reassuring. Figuring what was going to come next, he decided to skip everything else and just ask the 'really big question' then and there. "How bad did we get hit?"

Gino's face turned from pleasant to grim almost at the flip of a switch. "Really bad. The enemy, whoever they are, pretty much wasted the Capital Guard and two of our bases, and then knocked out the city's power with some kind of EMP before leaving. Prince Schneizel is trying to track them with the First Air Fleet, but it's believed that the enemy battleship has disappeared somewhere over the Pacific. Needless to say, that's a lot of ocean to cover, even for our air force."

A slight growl erupted from Suzaku's lips and his eyes cringed together; the Black Knights had hit them hard, and at the same time managed to abduct Lelouch. And though the White Knight of Britannia didn't know how they planned to circumvent the Emperor's Geass, it was a sure bet that they were now at least attempting to restore Lelouch's sealed memories, and if they were successful then their strike on Pendragon would only be the beginning. Thinking about that was enough to make Suzaku nauseous, and he had to fight his stomach and throat to keep from regurgitating whatever he had been fed for the last few hours.

If there was any consolation, at least their foe's identity and true goals had not been told to the public, if Gino's inability to identify them were any indication. The last thing Suzaku wanted, and he imagined the Emperor wanted, was panic over the Japanese or Zero coming back from the dead.

"Civilian casualties?" Suzaku asked.

"A few, mostly out of stray fire and the like. Nobody knows why, but they didn't seem interested in the city itself." Gino replied.

Inwardly, Suzaku allowed himself to feel relieved slightly. As much as he hated the Black Knights, at least they were still being led by Tohdoh and other men of honor, though he could imagine more than a handful of Japanese had earnestly wanted to slaughter Pendragon's population.

"Still, there is one strange thing." Gino spoke, remembering a certain detail. "Reports claim that two enemy knightmares raided Bethlem Hospital in the western side. What would they get out of that?"

Suzaku shook his head in false ignorance. That's where they're going to claim Zero had been imprisoned and subsequently liberated. "I wouldn't know. If memory serves, Bethlem is a psychiatric hospital, so aside from letting some of the patients run around and cause chaos during the blackout, I can't think of anything."

"Well either way, something about all this really turns my stomach." Gino replied, visibly expressing his discomfort.

"Mine too, but at least we know they won't hit us again, for a while anyway." Suzaku concluded.

"And why do you say that?" Gino wondered, curious.

"Because whatever reason they struck Pendragon for, they apparently accomplished their objective, otherwise they wouldn't have left when they did. Combine that with the losses they had to have taken from our defenses, and it's only logical that they would choose to regroup and repair their forces over hitting us again." Suzaku explained.

Gino nodded at that. "That makes sense. Shame that we don't know where they're hiding out, because we could easily take them down while they're busy licking their wounds."

"Possibly." Suzaku acknowledged. He then braced himself for his next question, even though he already knew what the answer was going to be. "By the way, has Lelouch come to visit me at all, or did he go with Prince Schneizel?"

Once more, the Knight of Three's expression turned to grimness. "I'm afraid I can't answer that question because I don't know. I tried checking on him this morning, but when I got to Aries I found the place locked down like Fort Knox and snoops from MI5 all around it. It's like Empress Marianne was assassinated all over again."

Still pretending to be in the dark, Suzaku feigned a worried expression. "Could someone have tried to…?"

"Likely, but I doubt he's dead if that's what you're thinking." Gino replied with a shrug, apparently not thinking much of it. "For one thing, Lelouch is tougher to kill than Grigori Rasputin, and for another, were he dead we would have immediately known. As for his would be assassin, I can only feel sorry for the poor bastard; he's probably halfway to Area 8 by now."

Suzaku nodded, catching the reference. Area 8, otherwise known as the Falkland Islands, was where Britannia's central maximum security prison was located, and it had quite the reputation for taking in political prisoners, terrorists, and most public enemies of the Empire. One rumor even claimed that Empress Marianne's assassins were now rotting away in the lower levels of that institution, denied even the comforts of light and fresh air. But of course, Gino's claim was quite far from reality as Suzaku knew, but for the time being his comrade didn't need to know the much darker truth.

Inside, he couldn't help but feel envious of that ignorance.

* * *

**Britannian air cruiser **_**Avalon****  
**_**Pacific Ocean****  
****March 26th, 2025 a.t.b.**

Though he appeared no less stalwart in the "Captain's Throne" than he always appeared, Schneizel could not remember the last time he had felt so exhausted on the inside. The reason for this was simple enough, as he had not received any sleep since the blitzkrieg on Pendragon, whether out of restlessness or out of his desire to hunt down the attackers or both, and even if barely noticeable it showed with the way he was sitting in his chair with his head propped up by his left hand. Fortunately the _Avalon_ bridge crew were all too busy with their duties to notice the Second Prince's fatigue; even Kanon, who was standing beside him, seemed oblivious to it. Not that any one of them would talk about it aloud in Schneizel's presence.

Directly in front of him, the bridge's main monitor was a mixture of blue arrows marked across a map of the Pacific Ocean, with each arrow signifying a taskforce of air and sea ships as they hunted for their unseen prey. He had to admit that their adversaries were quite skilled at disappearing, just as much as they were at striking without warning; from the Imperial mainland's western coastline all the way to the China Seas, Britannia ruled over the Pacific in all but nature, and very few of her enemies dared to seek haven within the associated lands. And yet it was precisely in this large expanse that the perpetrators had evaded the eyes of the Empire, like a fox evading hounds in a forest. Fortunately however, if the vessel in question were indeed battleship size as Schneizel estimated then there wasn't many places for it to make berth, and even if it had powerful engines, he doubted the vessel would have made it too far away from the mainland in the last several hours, thus Schneizel had arranged the patrols accordingly.

But even with all of that done, Schneizel doubted he would be able to find them, since he knew this particular enemy had long mastered hit-and-run tactics, having used them efficiently in the insurrection eight years ago. Yes, he now knew that the enemy he was facing were the formerly 'deceased' Black Knights; he had suspected it after the skirmish over the Atlantic, and the information given by Cornelia solidified that suspicion into fact. At the very least this gave Schneizel some idea of what to do once they were found again; he had long memorized the tactics that had been employed by the Black Knights during the battles in Japan, from the Battle of Narita to the Black Rebellion itself, and so now had a pretty good idea of how his enemy was going to operate once they were cornered. All that was needed to happen was for them to appear on the map again.

He supposed it was by God or Fate that there had been survivors from the destruction of Area 11, both Japanese and Britannian, and that they would have spent the last eight years focusing on striking back against the ones responsible for the destruction. Vengeance was after all, one of humanity's most enduring traits. Never would humans be so impassioned, so focused and so driven than to return pain and death upon those who previously wronged them. Even Britannians valued vengeance to a degree, reflected and immortalized by Empress Elizabeth III's orders to poison Napoleon Bonaparte in return for what she and the Empire had suffered from the Battle of Trafalgar, the Humiliation of Edinburgh and the loss of the British Isles to the European Union. In exactly the same way, it was vengeance that the Black Knights sought and it was vengeance that they had gained in sacking Pendragon, but it was quite unlikely that they would stop there, and Schneizel was relying on that idea.

"'If you prick us, do we not bleed?'" Schneizel whispered to himself at a level that only he would hear, quoting one of his favorite Shakespearean plays, The Merchant of Venice. "'If you tickle us, do we not laugh? If you poison us, do we not die? If you wrong us, shall we not revenge?'"

"Did you say something, milord?" Kanon asked, hearing Schneizel's voice but not understanding the words he was speaking.

Schneizel looked up and smiled briefly. "It's nothing Kanon."

When his aide-de-camp turned away, Schneizel found another fact within himself: just because Schneizel understood why his enemy was acting the way they were, and that he was directly responsible for it, did not mean that he held any regret or hesitance. Neither did he feel any pain over the lives lost on September 13, 2017 a.t.b., as the order that simultaneously carried out the deaths of those millions of innocents had also saved the lives of billions more. If there ever came another time where Schneizel would have to repeat his actions, where he would have to sacrifice millions in order to save billions, then he would make that same decision and carry out that same act without any pause, even if it left a bad taste in his mouth and a black feeling in his heart just as it did that day. As Second Prince and Chancellor of the Holy Britannian Empire, he could not do any less.

And it was with that same foundation that Schneizel would, when the time came, eliminate the Black Knights and possibly even the last remnants of their culture once and for all. Just as God had chosen to eliminate the dinosaurs so that humans could rule the Earth, and the Britannians of old had driven the original native inhabitance of the Americas to extinction in order to fully occupy those lands, then Schneizel would purge every Japanese man, woman and child if the necessity arose. It may not be as efficiently executed as it had been through the Devastation, but it would still be carried out to the end by any possible means.

Just as well, through their demise and that of Britannia's other enemies, world peace and stability could be the only outcome.

* * *

**Black Knights air battleship ****_Ikaruga_  
****Pacific Ocean****  
****March 26th, 2025 a.t.b.**

It bemused Lelouch to no end how whole world could change from one moment to the next. Originally he had woken up in a featureless, gray colored room used for interrogation and dispensing of pain, but now he was given quarters in what was essentially meant to be for a king. Taking up a fair amount of space aboard the battleship, which C.C. told him was the Black Knights' flagship _Ikaruga_, the room was large enough to house tall book-lined shelves on one side, several maroon-cushioned couches surrounding a long, low table in the center, while further back a fully furnished bedroom and bathroom area, and a green monitor screen displayed on another side. Lelouch was sitting on one of those aforementioned couches now, staring at the black and red chessboard at the center of the table. He could tell from that alone that whoever designed this room had him in mind as the occupier.

Adding further credence to that bemusement, yesterday he had worn only the finest in Britannian silk only to have awakened in the kind of straight jacket high profiles prisoners were forced to wear. But now that he had no longer been deemed a possible threat, he had been given a replication of the seemingly ancient Ashford Academy school uniform he had worn once upon a time. He supposed it was fitting, without being a pun; in his true life he had worn such an ensemble with pride, and now that those memories had resurfaced over his false ones, it would be the uniform he would take over his royal garments, which had been damaged somewhat from the events of last night anyway. Not that he would ever put them on again; Lelouch doubted he could stomach wearing such clothing as he was now.

That line of thinking brought him to perhaps the pinnacle of the shifting of worlds: Eleventh Prince Lelouch vi Britannia going to sleep at night only to wake up once again as Lelouch Lamperouge after a five year nap. Even now Lelouch's mind was churning from the recently unearthed memories of his time in Japan and all he had done as the revolutionary known as Zero, as well as the hatred he felt toward Britannia and his father for taking his mother from him and then turning him and Nunnally away. It sickened him on the inside how everything he had been led to believe for the last few years, including his own happiness, had only been a lie to cover up a far more sinister truth. And yet he managed to outwardly remain calm, even when his mind was a cyclone of pain and wrath.

So concentrated was he on remaining in the calm center of that storm, in fact, that he had not heard the electronic chime from the main door to his dwelling. However, he did notice when the door opened to reveal a uniformed man he clearly remember, who then took two steps in and allowed the door to close behind him. Though he was no longer alone, Lelouch didn't look up at the man, not even when he spoke a name he had not associated to himself in a long time.

"It's an honor to see you again, Zero." Kaname Ohgi said with a small but genuine smile, once more looking upon his leader.

This time Lelouch did look up, though the calm and emotionless expression he wore did not change. Inside, he wondered why Ohgi had come in alone when it was clear he and the other Black Knights knew about his Geass. Though it was kept in check with the special contact lens C.C. had given him, Lelouch was still more than capable of using it. He then figured that Ohgi must have station a guard outside in case he did try to use it, one who was either immune to his Geass or had been given adequate eye protection.

After a moment of thinking, he finally replied. "Kaname Ohgi. Yours is a face I never thought I would see again."

Ohgi let out a chuckle at that, as if Lelouch's words had caused him to remember eight years ago in earnest. Casually, Ohgi walked over to the couch opposite of Lelouch and sat down, being mindful to shift the chessboard over, so that he could place the metal suitcase he was carrying on the table. Lelouch looked at the suitcase with a dark curiosity; already he knew what was inside of it, but he didn't know what he thought about it.

"As you can see, we have made a lot of progress since the Black Rebellion." Ohgi started to explain. "Though the bulk of our forces are still in development and training, the Black Knights is now a full-fledged army, one with full military power and capability. Our strike on Pendragon yesterday is proof enough."

Lelouch said nothing at that, so in spite of the uncertainty he was feeling, Ohgi continued. "However, while we are no longer some minor resistance, we still lack a vital component: a leader that the Black Knights can rally behind…"

Easing forward, Ohgi reached out and undid the locks to the suitcase, then opening it to reveal its insides to Lelouch. "This is something only you can do."

As Lelouch had suspected, the suitcase contained but a single object: a black mask with a dark purple orb at its center and a golden Geass sigil emblazed below it. The mask of Zero. _His_ mask. For his part, he still showed no outward emotion, even when his eyes scanned over every detail across the headpiece's surface, as if to find a defect or blemish at any point.

After a few moments of silence, Lelouch finally looked back up from the mask to Ohgi and spoke up again. "You realize you're putting a lot of faith in the man who is directly responsible for Japan's death."

"No." Ohgi spoke out, his eyes narrowing. "It was Britannia that was responsible for the destruction of Japan, not you Zero."

"Zero was the one who gave Britannia reason to carry out that destruction." Lelouch replied in monotone. Though his exterior remained calm, the storm continued under the surface. "And please refer to me as Lelouch."

Ohgi didn't respond for a moment, as inside he was beginning to wonder if this really was the same man he had admired as a leader years ago. However, he soon reminded himself that he had only just recovered, and naturally had a lot to take in, which made the Black Knights' Vice Commander more sympathetic. "Very well Lelouch, but I disagree entirely with your statement. You were the reason Japan came close to liberation in the first place. If it wasn't for you, then Japan would still be Area 11 and my people would still be under their bondage."

"…Is death truly a preferable fate to bondage?" Lelouch wondered out loud. There was a time when he believed it was, but now he wasn't so sure. Not wanting to go into a philosophical debate, he moved onto another question. "How much did C.C. tell you?"

Ohgi was quick enough to answer that one. "Everything, including the truth behind the SAZ massacre…"

Lelouch didn't physically move, but something inside him shook with the ferocity of an earthquake. Yes, I was the one who turned Euphie into a monster. I was the one who soiled her name and her ideals. "If you, Tohdoh and the others know the truth behind everything, then why are you still offering me this mantle?"

"Because in spite of everything that happened, we know that you are a true hero of justice." Ohgi said. His face still held some sympathy, but his words took on a more hardened tone. "It's exactly that hero which my people, no, the world needs."

"Zero is the last thing the world needs." Lelouch stated, now looking disgusted. "I took up that mask and cowl because I thought I would inspire good. Instead all I did was add to the chaos and destruction…"

"You did inspire good, Lelouch." Ohgi purposely interrupted. "But you forced one of the most powerful empires in history into a corner and spat on its face doing so. Did you think that there weren't going to be casualties? All of us who took up arms against Britannia knew it would only get worse before it got better."

"I know. I used to remind myself of that whenever lives were lost under my watch." Lelouch muttered in disdain. "And yet in all my calculations and expectations, I never thought this would be the ultimate consequence of those actions…"

"Neither did we, but even so, we're still willing to fight, and the world still needs Zero, regardless of what you may think." Ohgi replied, looking as though he were going to stay firm no matter what Lelouch would say.

Lelouch considered that for a moment. "What are my options in all of this?"

"Well, obviously we can't return you to Britannia, and I doubt you would want that anyway." Ohgi explained. "But if you do not wish to finish what you started in Shinjuku, then we can easily make a new life for you in Okinawa."

"Okinawa?" Lelouch asked, looking up a bit.

"Yes, it is both the last haven of the Japanese and our main headquarters." Ohgi said. "In this new life, you will have to give up both your face and your name, and you would not be allowed to leave the island for the rest of your existence. You would simply disappear while leaving the world to less than capable men; does that sound appealing to you, Lelouch?"

Lelouch didn't rise to the jab as Ohgi had expected, instead remaining calm and controlled. "Give me time to consider everything."

At that, Ohgi nodded with some understanding. "Take as much as you need." He then stood up again. "We will arrive at our port soon enough. For security reasons I'm afraid we cannot allow you to disembark or leave this room; though you're not exactly as hated as other Britannians, your face is still well known among us."

"I understand." Lelouch replied without looking up.

"Good. Contact me when you reach a decision. The numbers are programmed into your comm system." Ohgi explained, before turning and making his way out, leaving Lelouch alone to stare at the black mask on the table.

* * *

Outside the door to what a few people called the Devil's Den, Kallen waited patiently for her commander to emerge from the other side, hand close to her sidearm at all times. Though door goon wasn't exactly a preferred job of hers, she insisted on being the one this time around. Part of the reason was because she was, by one way or another, immune to the effects of Lelouch's Geass, and the other part was because she wanted to know what would happen personally. Ohgi was taking a large risk by going in there without eye protection, but by doing so he was visibly reassuring Lelouch that they trusted him; if that trust happened to be misplaced, that's when everything was left to Kallen.

After a few minutes or so of standing around like a statue or one of those Royal Guardsman in front of the Imperial Palace, Kallen finally heard the door open up from behind her and Ohgi stepped out. Making sure that he wasn't under the influence of Lelouch's Power of Absolute Obedience, she activated her own Geass briefly to scan her superior over, and instantly found that his brain was operating at the same levels it had always been. "You're clean."

Ohgi visibly relaxed knowing that he was not under Geass' control. "That's good; I'd hate to see him shot after all this."

"Agreed." Kallen said, and then jumped to her next question. "How is he?"

"To put it bluntly, he's a wreck." Ohgi shook his head in disappointment. "It'll probably take a miracle for him to return to what he was before."

"We knew this was going to happen though; he had to relive seven very dark years of his life in just a few seconds, and then realize the last eight years were all lies. I don't think any of us would be able to stand after that." Kallen explained.

"I know, I know, but it's still frustrating to see Zero reduced to… that." Ohgi replied. He had hoped that Lelouch would somehow have been able to return to the mask automatically, but there was no such luck. "All we can do now is give him time to make a decision."

Kallen nodded, though inside she still felt grossly ill by the inner pain Lelouch was undoubtedly feeling now, and how she played a direct part in causing it. She wouldn't admit it to Ohgi of course, or any of the other Black Knights though. "Yeah, we just have to have faith in him."

Just as she began to walk down the corridor, Ohgi stopped her with another question. "Don't you want to see him?"

Kallen didn't turn around, but for a brief moment she did consider that idea. During their original insurrection, she had been the closest of their group to Zero, to the point that he had even offered to show her his true identity at one time. That said, she knew her words had a better chance of reaching him than Ohgi's, but the question was whether or not she could honestly say what was needed when inside she was just as conflicted? And much more, would she be able to face Lelouch with the necessary resolve, even when guilt was slowly eating away at her heart?

After finding the truth in herself, she answered Ohgi's question. "I have nothing to say to him at this time."

She then went on her way, leaving Ohgi alone in the corridor without ever looking back.

* * *

Though he didn't exactly suffer from self-hatred, there were times in Kyoshiro Tohdoh's life where he wished he were someone else. This did not happen very often, as Tohdoh was a proud man who was equally proud of the life and choices he had made in his course, whether be it choosing not to succeed his father in running his family's dojo and joining the military or by choosing not to surrender to Britannia and instead continue the fight through the Japanese Liberation Front. But eventually, there would come such a time where Tohdoh would desire another life for himself, if only to spare himself any amount of suffering he was facing in the now.

Not only was this one of those times, but Tohdoh was wondering just how he had disfavored Kami in such a way that He had chosen this form of retribution.

"I still don't think we need him…!" Chiba shot across the table to the Four Holy Swords and Tohdoh. All five of them were sitting in the _Ikaruga_'s mess hall for dinner, and since there weren't any other humans in the vicinity, the topic of conversation was naturally around a certain masked man. All Tohdoh could do in the maelstrom was shield his eyes with the brim of his cap, which he, like Ohgi and a few of the other command staff, made a habit of wearing despite it being optional, while Chiba and the rest continued on. "We came this far without Zero, and I believe we can fight Britannia well enough without him!"

Sitting directly next to Tohdoh, Urabe rubbed his ears as if they were hurting. "Yeah, yeah, you've been making that point for the last eight years Chiba, but regardless of what you think, we do need him. Out of all of us, Zero is the best chance the Black Knights have at hitting Britannia where it hurts."

Chiba leered at her comrade. "I suppose you think the Pendragon strike was just a glancing blow?"

"No, that one did damage, but the only reason we pulled it off was because the Britannians weren't expecting it. Next time they will be prepared for us, thus necessitating Zero's leadership." Urabe countered.

"But the last time we relied on him he abandoned us." Chiba stated once more. "He ran off and left us all to rot!"

"If I remember correctly, we were winning that battle, so he didn't exactly leave on a whim. Besides, it wasn't like he didn't have a good reason to." Urabe replied.

Chiba's gaze intensified three fold at her comrade's return. "Don't tell me you have no problem with him abandoning us like that…!"

"Of course not, but that doesn't mean I don't understand why." Urabe answered quickly. "I mean, if Miss C.C. is right, then his whole existence is based around his little sister. It only makes sense that he would try to save her if she were endangered."

"That is a weakness." Chiba stated. "A true soldier would never let his personal feelings get involved…!"

Suddenly turning to stare her directly in the eyes, Urabe fired back. "Does that make you a true soldier, Chiba? 'Cause I think we all know what you would do."

The sole female member of the Four Holy Swords tried to find a way to answer that, but she couldn't, only managing to grit her teeth and look away. Her personal feelings and unrequited love were no secret, neither was the fact that if something would have happened to Tohdoh, Chiba would have been the first to abandon her post and attempt to rescue their leader. Urabe admitted to himself that it was a low blow, but he truly hated when Chiba tried to act like she was this perfect soldier that would never abandon the mission or her orders, even for herself. None of them were like that, not even Tohdoh.

"Regardless, I'm with Chiba on this." Asahina spoke up, partly to break the awkward moment and partly to come to Chiba's aid, though he secretly agreed with Urabe. "Don't get me wrong, Zero is great at what he does; if it wasn't for him, we wouldn't have been able to rescue Tohdoh from Sagumo Prison years ago…"

Though his name was spoken, Tohdoh still pretended not to be listening, instead focusing on his miso. Inside however, his calm was starting to be tried.

"…But if it comes down to it, I don't think we need to rely on him either. He's too much of a wild card anyway, especially with his heritage." Asahina continued.

"Heh heh heh." Urabe laughed as he turned his attention to Asahina, leaving Chiba to sulk in her bruised pride. "And here I thought only Britannians judged people by their heritage."

"You know it's not like that Urabe…!" Asahina stammered.

"Yeah, I know what you're getting at Asahina, but his background doesn't make a difference." Urabe replied smugly. "So he has a connection to the enemy, big deal. It's obvious he hates them more than we do, so I doubt he's going to betray us if that's what you're implying."

"You mean he hated them more than we do." Senba corrected now. "I admit I would like Zero to return as well, but none of us know what's going on in his head now. We don't even know if he will ever recover from his shock."

"If you want my opinion…" Tohdoh at long last spoke up, causing everyone to turn around to listen. He laughed on the inside at the rhetorical nature of that statement, since they always wanted his opinion. "I believe Zero will return to us soon enough."

Asahina eyed their leader with a raised eyebrow. "What makes you say that General?"

"A certain insight to his character." Tohdoh replied as he took another sip of his miso. "Though Zero was never a true soldier, he had the heart of one. Even during the Black Rebellion, when he was feeling clear pain over Euphemia's death and his causing Suzaku to hate him, he still led us without hesitation and remained focused on the objective."

"So what does that have to do with now?" Chiba asked in wonder.

"Everything." Tohdoh at long last looked up, his hawk like gaze blazing with intensity. "While Zero does have human flaws, he is still the kind of man who will do all that is necessary, even if it means going against himself. That said, it will take him some time, but he will soon find it to be necessary in starting where he left off, regardless of what happened in the past. It is only natural for him."

"I wish we all had your faith, sir…" Asahina spoke up again.

"Faith has nothing to do with it." Tohdoh answered, finally finishing his miso and putting the empty bowl down. "I assure you four that we need to only wait a little longer. Everything will come to proper order in time…"

* * *

"Oh, my dear, dear _Gawain_, it has been so long…" Rakshata Chawla announced as she stared up at the taller than average black and gold knightmare, smiling affectionately toward its faceplate. "I can't believe how much has happened since you left home."

Casually she walked around it, inspecting every part of its body from the tips of the 'dog ear' fins on its head to the base of its feet. When her little inspection was complete, she nodded approvingly. "I see that your current master has been taking good care of you, though it's obvious things have been rough from your time in Africa. But not to worry, after some cleaning and a fresh refit, you'll feel like you just came off the assembly line."

"…For a machine that you didn't create yourself, you sure treat it with a lot of affection." Inoue, who was standing close by, spoke with perplexity. As far as she could remember, the Black Knights' Science Chief only showed that kind of affection to machines of her own design, namely the _Guren Nishiki_, while holding virtually no love for Britannian units.

Rakshata simply turned and smiled sweetly back at her. "Quite the contrary, I consider this little one to be my adopted child. I admit I didn't take to him at first, but after I got his hadron cannons properly aligned, we bonded and he became part of the family."

She then looked back up at the machine's face. "He's still a little more temperamental than my other children, but that's understandable. I would be to if my caretaker had been the Earl of Pudding."

Inoue sighed and rubbed her temples. To say that blonde Indian scientist and engineer was eccentric would have been like calling Emperor Charles intimidating: not only was it redundant, but also to the greatest degree of the word's definition. Even though she and the rest of the Black Knights had worked beside Rakshata for so long, since as far back as the Black Rebellion, not many could claim to understand her, much less how she could view machines as if they were human children while being far more vehement to humans. Even her own assistants were unable to say anything of her antics, instead following whatever orders she gave them while they kept their mouths shut and their opinions to themselves.

But in spite of that, Rakshata was still as invaluable to the Black Knights as she had been back during their initial insurrection. It was because of her that they were able to establish and maintain a relation with the governor of India, now Area 21, and gain access to the secret factories and production sites that the Britannians had missed in their occupation. It was also because of Rakshata that they had gained an army in less than a few years, armed with the most advanced technology in the form of airships like the _Ikaruga_ and knightmares like the _Akatsuki_. And it would be through Rakshata that they would continue to grow technologically to match or exceed the power of Britannia with her latest and greatest inventions. Love her or hate her, one could not deny that she was as vital to the Black Knights' power as Zero himself.

And it was with that in mind that Inoue continued. "How long will it take for you to get the _Gawain_ refitted?"

"Oh, not too long." Rakshata answered straight away. "I'll have to take it apart and go over the individual parts, but it will be up and running soon enough. Why? Does Zero already have an operation planned?"

"Not yet…" Inoue looked down somewhat. "But Ohgi still wants his knightmare ready and waiting for when he does."

"Pity." Rakshata replied, though she didn't look all that concerned. "Well, at least it will give me time to get reacquainted with this child, as well as get those unruly dozen under control."

Inoue knew what she was referring to, and she stared back toward the corner of the hangar where twelve uniquely designed knightmares were lined in rows. They were clearly _Akatsuki_ variants, but their armor was even more streamlined and aligned in a more angular and aerodynamic array, while their heads, which were currently retracted into the main bodies as with others of their design, held a singlular, slightly jagged horn fin at the top of its head that stretched upward at an angle. Other than that, their main stand out features included a specialized flight system that took the form of four outstretched fins coming off the back as opposed to the standard air glide wings, with each wing now holding a row of thrusters much like the _Zangetsu_'s seidotou, and curious rifle shaped cannons on their right shoulders, with the barrels retracted so as to not brush against the hangar floor.

These were the prototype _Akatsuki Seisoukenshikis_, or "Stratospheric Types", high mobility knightmare frames designed to operate at the height of the Earth's atmosphere. At least, that's what they were intended for, but certain problems with their flight systems had kept them from operational status for some time now. While it was strange to see any of Rakshata's machines not be combat ready in the first few months of their creation, the _Seisoukenshikis_ were a form of new technology, so it was not unforeseen that there would be bugs to work out. The only issue was when they would finally be of use.

"Yeah, it's a shame that we couldn't use them in the last operation." Inoue sighed as she looked at the angular machines. Then she saw something that sparked her curiosity. "Which squadron are they assigned to anyway?"

"The 13th Knightmare Squadron, specifically Miss C.C.'s unit." Rakshata replied with a sneer. "Did you know that woman wanted me to paint my creations pink?"

"Pink?" Inoue replied with a quirked eyebrow.

"Yes, pink. The color of bubblegum and lipstick, applied to my beloved children. If you don't think I didn't go all the way to Tohdoh to stonewall her, then you're mistaken." Rakshata actually grimaced at the thought of it all. "Oh sure, she claimed that it would be a distracting color to follow, but that doesn't excuse her lacking taste!"

_You're one to talk._ Inoue thought but bit her lip to keep from speaking. "Well, she does have a point, and getting shot down by a pink knightmare would only humiliate the Britannians further."

"But it's humiliating to them as well, being coated in such a horrid color! They would become transvestites!" Rakshata stated, almost breaking her trademark tobacco pipe between her fingers through the constrained rage.

"…Uh." Inoue imagined an anime style sweat drop form on the back of her head in response to that. "Are you sure they aren't girls already?"

"Of course not." Rakshata said proudly. "All of my dear children are males. Isn't it obvious?"

Inoue wisely chose not to say anything else on the matter.

* * *

**John Colahan Army Medical Center  
****Pendragon, Holy Britannian Empire  
****March 26th, 2025 a.t.b.**

After splashing water on his face for the third time, Gino once more looked at himself in the bathroom mirror. Even with proper hydration across its surface, his face looked as though it had stared into the screaming maw of Hell, from the pseudo-thousand yard state that his eyes were giving to the deepened frown that took the place of his usual pleasantness and optimism. During his visit with Suzaku, he had managed to keep that look off of his face for the most part, but it had only returned when he had exited his comrade's hospital room. As did the pain he felt in his heart.

I look like a war vet. Gino thought with distaste. He hated that look on himself, especially when he had not done anything to earn it. It was the look he remembered his grandfather, Henry Weinburg, always wore when he was alone, as if the lack of outside contact caused him to flashback to his days of service during Great World War I and the death and destruction he had directly faced. Gino only managed to see it whenever his grandfather didn't know he was present, because when he did he always displayed a similar pleasant expression that Gino did around his friends. But that was still more than enough for him to detest it.

Once more he turned on the hot water and let it pour out of the faucet into his waiting hands, before splashing it on his face as if it would rid him of the grimness. He knew it was a futile effort, as the pain wasn't on his face but within him, yet even so it at least gave him some amount of comfort. And while he did this, he remembered…

* * *

"It's been a while, hasn't it Gino Weinburg?" the face on the _Tristan_'s main monitor spoke with a voice that seemed both close and distant to could only stare back in shock; of all the people he had expected to see tonight, the woman that had been his classmate at Norfolk, the same woman that had become his mentor, study partner and friend, the same woman that had been a fellow contender for ascending to the Knights of the Round, had been the very last human being he thought would appear before him. And yet there she was, unless the image he saw was a digital forgery, which he doubted. "How is this possible? You were supposed to be…"

"Dead?" Charmelle finished for Gino. "I would have been, should have been, as with the rest of us when Japan was destroyed. But by some miracle, I survived with a few others and now here I am."

That's when Gino's mind flashed back and remembered why he had thought she was dead; Charmelle had been transferred to Fort Clinton in Tokyo Settlement, Area 11, for her assignment after serving in the Korean Peninsula for a time. That combined with everything he saw tonight, from "Rikichi's" earlier outburst to the design of the enemy knightmares, the shape of their chain swords, and the insignia on Charmelle's flight suit, brought Gino to the inevitable truth.

The Knight of Three could feel the blood drain away as he spoke the next few words. "Then, these are the Black Knights, aren't they?"

"That is correct." Charmelle replied with a nod. "For the Devastation of Japan, we now strike against Pendragon with an iron fist."

"But you're Britannian!" Gino exclaimed, not wanting to hear what his ears were telling him.

"Only by blood." Charmelle stated with a clear hate. "My allegiance to this country ceased when it betrayed me and left me to die, as it did many other Britannians that had no place to run. I no longer hold any love for Britannia, nor those who fight for it."

"Then, does that mean I have to fight you…?" Gino asked, tightening his grip around the _Tristan_'s control stick, making it bring up the poleaxe.

Charmelle's knightmare brought up her sword as well, but she did not attack. "Of course it does! You are the Knight of Three now, are you not!? Isn't it your sworn duty to strike down all enemies of the Empire!"

"But…" Gino stammered, quelled by the fierceness behind Charmelle's words.

"Then strike, Gino Weinburg! Fulfill your duty to the Emperor you swore your loyalty to!" Charmelle called out once more.

"Don't tempt me!" Gino called back, all of the pain and sadness he felt within being broadcast with each word. "I don't want to hurt you, and I don't want to fight them…!"

Charmelle didn't say anything at first, instead expressing a frown. "Tell me Gino, how will you continue being the Knight of Three if you refuse to kill the enemies of Britannia?"

"I don't know…" Gino stared down and away from the video screen, feeling as though he wanted to cry. "I don't want to hurt you or the people you fight with, but there's something in Britannia that I believe in…"

As he spoke, he remembered his conversation with Anya aboard the _Avalon_, and the faith he placed in the Eleventh Prince of Britannia. His hope for a better world. "…something that I'm willing to die for to see through."

"I see…" Charmelle sighed. She didn't want to fight Gino either, and hoped to win him over to the Black Knights, but it seemed that their fates were sealed. "In that case Gino, you can only remain true to your beliefs by continuing to fight."

"…What?" Gino looked up.

"You heard me!" Charmelle stated again with ferocity. "If you want to see your wishes come true, then you must fight for what you believe in, just as I do. Even if your enemy is a former friend, do not hesitate, and do not show mercy, or you will be struck down yourself!"

"Charmelle…" Gino spoke aloud.

"…That is what it means to be a warrior, and to be a knight, Gino. I can teach you no more than that." Charmelle said, once more smiling apologetically. "If we meet again in the future, you will have no choice but to strike when you can, or I will beat you to the draw."

Gino nodded, tears starting to well up in his eyes now. "I understand. Next time I won't hesitate, even if it's you."

"Good. Never forget that resolve." Charmelle replied, readying her sword again. "And now Eagle of Britannia, have at you!"

With that, Charmelle charged with her knightmare, and Gino could only do the same until their blades met once again. Thus began one of the hardest battles Gino had ever faced, both against his enemy and against himself…

* * *

Just like as it was in their spars in Norfolk, both in and out of a knightmare, it had taken the entirety of Gino's being in order to fight back against Charmelle in that battle. A long time ago, he had considered her his number one rival when it came to combat, as in spite of any initial impressions one may get of her, the woman had a skill with fighting that seemed to rival that of even Suzaku's, and Gino often found himself struggling just to keep up with her. This all changed when Gino transferred from the Army to the Air Force after two years, and along with that he was transferred to the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, which relegated their friendship to contact by e-mail and IM only. Subsequently, this was also the reason why Gino had been selected initially as the test pilot for the _Tristan_, as he was one of the few Britannians to possess piloting skills in both a knightmare frame and a fighter jet, making him the perfect candiate.

But that was all beside the point that Charmelle was one of the few opponents he took entirely seriously. In fact, had it not been for her fate in Japan, Gino knew Charmelle would have ascended to the Knights of the Round, if not becoming the knight of one of Britannia's royal family.

But even so, it wasn't the physical strain of that battle that damaged Gino so much as the emotional strain. Despite what he had said to her, he still found it difficult fighting one who he had once considered a friend, especially when he knew that it was her side that was in the right. That last part especially made Gino feel ill, knowing that even with his beliefs and his faith in Lelouch, he was still supporting the aggressor, the very "evil" empire that was responsible for the initial cataclysm. All tied to the very system of discrimination and elitism that had caused him, as a boy, to run as far away from home as he could get himself.

That thought caused him to grimace yet again, overlapping his darkened expression and causing Gino to gag on his own breath. For a moment, he felt the urge to punch the mirror just to be rid of his reflection, as the rage he felt from everything started to take hold in his heart. It was only the thought of a broken and bleeding fist kept him from doing so, thus he simply settled for giving himself a hardened glare.

"Aoi, even knowing what I've become, would you still love me as you did then?" he murmured to his reflection in wonder, gripping the chain he wore around his neck and remembering the beautiful face of the woman he had long ago fallen for. The same woman that even today held a place in his heart that no other could, in spite of Gino's constant searching.

Then, like a lightning bolt striking a metal rod, a thought entered into Gino's mind. _Could she have been one of the survivors…?_

For the briefest of moments, Gino watched as the darkness disappeared from his eyes and his body straightened to its full height, as feeling and energy entered his body once again. However, it only lasted a moment, and soon he dropped back to what he was before, although this time he gave himself a small, false smile. Reality had once more set into the Knight of Three's spirit. "Nah, that's impossible. There couldn't have been more than a hundred, or even a thousand of them. For her to live through the destruction would be next to impossible."

And yet, deep down in his heart, he still wanted to believe.

* * *

**Black Knights air battleship **_**Ikaruga**_  
**Pacific Ocean  
****March 26th, 2025 a.t.b.**

The mask felt heavy, just as he remembered. Even being held in both of his hands, it felt like a black millstone more than it did anything else, something that made his hands all but scream out for him to drop or put down. But ignoring those feelings, Lelouch continued to hold the mask in his hand and gaze at the featureless purple orb at the center, as if he were expecting a pair of eyes or a form of darkness to stare back at him. It was funny how he had worn the mask not too long ago, and yet now it felt like a foreign object to him.

And yet while he had the strength to hold it in front of his face, he seemingly lacked the necessary amount to put it on. For his intellect and the laws of physics, Lelouch did not know why this was. Perhaps he was afraid that were he to slip it over his head and let the back shields slip into place, that it would somehow devour him like a dragon chomping down on a valiant knight. Or perhaps he was afraid that once the mask was on, it would transform him into something he would not recognize, or worse, something that he did recognize from long ago. Or he was simply afraid of the crushing weight that he felt in his hands being placed over his head.

But regardless of the whys, the fact remained that Lelouch could not, or would not, put the mask on and become the great pretender he had been eight years ago.

"How pathetic you have grown, Lelouch." C.C. spoke out loud just after she entered into the sanctuary. "Fearing a mask, even one that you used to wear. Has your time in Britannia's service made you soft, or were you always afraid of your own shadow?"

Fury building, Lelouch closed his eyes and growled. "I don't need comments from an immortal witch such as yourself."

"I will offer them anyway." C.C. responded, before coming closer, stopping just beside where he was sitting. "Don't get me wrong, I don't care what you do with yourself as long as you fulfill your contract with me. However, watching you wallow in your own self-pity is truly disgusting."

"Then look elsewhere." Lelouch snarled back, still refusing to stand.

"I can't." C.C. replied once more with a staunch tone. "Our partnership is two ways. If one of us is down, then the other must pick him or her up. Even if he doesn't want to get back up in the first place."

"Then why am I still your partner!" Lelouch barked. He not only stood up that time, but he threw the mask to the floor as hard as he could, causing it to bounce and tumble away to an unseen location. "Why don't you abandon me like you did Mao and find a replacement!"

"Mao was a hopeless cause." C.C. said, her tone even in the face of Lelouch's rage. "You are not, even if you think yourself to be."

"Your faith in me is admirable but misplaced…" Lelouch said, his fist trembling from the wrath that had been kept away for so long. In a swift motion, he removed the contact and revealed his Geass before he spoke again. "When you gave me this power, I really believed I could change the world for Nunnally and everyone else. I really thought I destroy the evils of modern day society and replace it with something good and wholesome…"

His teeth grit together in shame. "But it turned out I was a naïve fool. Every good intention I had, every positive action I tried to implement, just made the world all the darker. I lied to my classmates and my little sister, killed my friend's father and my beloved half-sister and many others, caused my best friend to hate me, and destroyed an entire country and race, _all for what_!"

Tears began to stream down his face, and like molten lava they stung against his skin. Especially the tears of his left eye against his scar. "The world hasn't changed! All that sacrifice and suffering, and the world still continues as it had when my mother died! Only now it's become even worse, and I have nothing left to fight for!"

"You're wrong Lelouch. You have everything to fight for." C.C. replied, ever calm in the face of the storm, but still scathing in her tone.

"So you say, but I can't see any of it…! Nunnally is gone, Euphemia is dead, Suzaku is with the enemy and the world is damned each step of the way!" Lelouch growled again. Another realization occurred in himself. "And by the way, if you have the power to reverse Geass, then why didn't you do that for Euphie when I lost control!"

C.C. sighed, as if he Lelouch were speaking semantics. "It doesn't work like that. Each Geass has a unique wavelength that sets it apart from others. For a Code Bearer such as myself to reverse the effects of one, I would need to be attuned to that wavelength."

"So you're saying you can reverse my father's Geass, but you can't do that with mine, even though you're the one who gave it to me!" Lelouch said in a shaken voice.

"…Yes. Just because I gave you that power doesn't mean I can control it myself." C.C. explained.

"That's great!" Lelouch snarled. "So really, nothing could have kept that massacre from happening, or the Rebellion, or the Devastation!"

"No, nothing could have prevented any of those." C.C. concurred. "And yet in spite of it all, there are still people that are willing to continue to fight for the dream that you created. People that have lost as much as you have, if not more."

That one actually hit home on Lelouch. As much as he had lost in the past, he could not argue that the Japanese and Britannians that made up the Black Knights had lost just as much. Their families, their friends, their homes and their futures. "Then let them fight. But I won't have any part of it, not after all I have done as Zero!"

C.C.'s eyes narrowed. "Are you truly that afraid of yourself Lelouch? If so, then what are you afraid of the most? Yourself, that black mask or the power I've given you."

Lelouch stiffened at that question and he looked away from her. "…Yes, I am afraid, of all three. I'm afraid if I don that mask, that if I continue acting the role I gave myself, I will only damn the world further."

"And yet, you think if things continue the way they are now, the world will somehow fix itself?" C.C. replied, causing Lelouch to look up again. "That if you leave it to the hands of less than capable men, then it will all somehow come back together?"

Lelouch sneered at her. "All I know is I once believed I was playing the role of a hero, but in reality I was little more than a villain, one who despite acting for a good and just purpose, committed great acts of evil. I refuse to act that part any longer!"

In a broad sweep of his hand, he pointed to the door. "Now get out! I will not have your company or anyone else's!"

For a moment, C.C. stood her ground, continuing to look at Lelouch as if she were looking directly into his torment. To an outsider, it was impossible to read what she was thinking from her facial expressions or posture, but there was one thing that was evident that showed on her features. That one thing was disappointment, clear as crystal and almost tangible.

Then when she decided it was time, she turned and made her way toward the door. However, before reaching it, she asked one last question without looking back. "Tell me one more thing Lelouch. Do you hate me, for giving you your power?"

Lelouch didn't turn to face her either, but he still answered. "…I only hate myself for using that power."

Once again, C.C. did not respond. Instead, she simply made her exit while the storm continued on within Lelouch's soul.

* * *

TO BE CONTINUED…


	9. Chapter 09: Hunter to Hunted

"_There is no hunting like the hunting of man, and those who have hunted armed men long enough and liked it, never care for anything else thereafter."_  
- Ernst Hemingway

**Chapter 09: Hunter to Hunted**

**Black Knights air battleship **_**Ikaruga**_  
**Pacific Ocean**  
**March 28, 2025 a.t.b.**

With how usually crowded the _Ikaruga_'s bridge was with people, it was strange for Lieutenant Colonel Yoshitaka Minami to see it nearly deserted like this. Aside from the three main stations toward the front which were filled with weapons operator 2nd Lieutenant Ayame Futuba, sensor operator 2nd Lieutenant Hinata Ichijiku, communications operator 1st Lieutenant Minase Mutsuki and select others, most of the bridge posts were empty. This caused a calm to settle into the space, which in turn made Minami relax and settle into his chair easily.

Taking advantage of the tranquility, he took off his commissar cap, which he adapted to wearing to further fit into his role as captain of the _Ikaruga_, and placed it on the side of his monitor, just before doing the same with the cup of ramen he had in his hand, except toward the opposite end. He then proceeded to dig out some noodles with his chopsticks, inhaling them quickly; it was not the best breakfast he ever had, but at least it was food and semi-edible.

As he did, he once again found himself considering his current position and just how twisted fate was for placing him there. Of all the things he had believed he would end up doing over his lifetime, captaining a battleship had been among the last he had expected. While it wasn't too difficult a job, Minami couldn't help but feel he was ill-suited for it; he, like the rest of Naoto Kouzuki's original resistance, had not even been part of the original Japanese military, instead having originally been a truck driver that went underground after the Britannians closed down his business and revoked his license. From there he went on to driving military supply trucks and at times piloting knightmares, but he had never served on any kind of warship. So how was he qualified to command such a fine vessel like the _Ikaruga_?

But then he supposed he could have spoken the same way about Zero, since on any normal day he would not have believed a high school student had been capable of leading an army, no matter how brilliant he was. That thought made Minami feel a little more at ease with his captaincy; stranger things had happened to even stranger people after all.

"Sonar contact!" the shriek of Hinata Ichijiku announced, interrupting Minami's thoughts. "Britannian _Astute_-class attack submarine, bearing one-six-zero. She's heading right toward us at flank speed!"

As suddenly as the outburst had come, Minami's expression quickly turned to one of shock and despair. _That's impossible! The Gefjun Disturber is still active!_

But he had no time to wait for an explanation as to how the Britannians were able to find them while being effectively blind. Instead, he slipped his cap back on, therefore symbolically reassuming his role as captain, and began shouting commands. "Sound for Battlestations! Raise the radiant shield and arm weapons! Mutsuki, call General Ohgi to the bridge."

The brown haired woman nodded and picked up the intercom receiver. "General Ohgi report to the bridge! Repeat, General Ohgi to the bridge!"

No more than a minute later, Ohgi emerged from the elevator with the C.C. and other bridge crew members, before taking his seat on the central command chair while the green haired "witch" took her own. Ohgi resolved himself that Zero was not yet ready to take it, so he would just have to continue holding it for him. "What's going on?"

"Britannian sub off our port, coming in fast." Minami answered. "We may have just been found…"

As if to confirm Minami's suggestion, Ichijiku's eyes lit up. "Torpedoes in the water! One, two… four torpedoes in the water!"

"Evade!" Minami ordered quickly, though he knew it would do little good. The _Ikaruga_ was just too big to maneuver that fast underwater, and even if they were unguided, the torpedoes were fast enough to catch them.

Sure enough, a sudden rumbling shook across the ship as the four projectiles impacted against the _Ikaruga_'s radiant shield. Though the ship itself was undamaged from the attack, the crew found themselves struggling to maintain their balance from the shaking, and the bridge crew was no exception to this. Minami found himself almost tumbling out of his chair, while Ohgi had to grip his control panel to keep himself in place.

"Are our own torpedoes loaded yet!" Minami inquired with a yell.

"Almost there!" Futuba replied in a hurried tone.

"Two new contacts! Two more _Astute_-class at three-one-zero, both moving at flank speed!" Ichijiku replied, eyes nearly bulging out of their sockets.

_No choice…_ Minami thought as he gritted his teeth together. The following orders would only bring them out of the frying pan and into the fire, as anything could have been lurking in the sky above, but it was still the better chance toward survival than remaining submerged. "Surface the ship and take us to thirteen thousand meters!"

The helmsman complied and immediately made the _Ikaruga_ move out of the abyss, just as the enemy submarines begun launching a second volley of torpedoes. The bridge crew all watched this while bracing themselves to remain stationary during the ship's assent, while those not on the bridge could only wonder at what exactly was going on.

With great power, the flagship of the Black Knights rose through the depths, eventually out of the water itself and into the open sky. Though the dimness of the dawn sky, made its black hull difficult for one to see its ascent, if one was looking, he or she could see it emerge from the water like the Biblical Leviathan and take to the skies that it sought for sanctuary. It took little more than a few moments for the entire hull to make the transference from sea to air, and once it did, it took flight with full grace.

Unfortunately, what should have been a narrow escape from destruction turned out to only be moving from one ensnarement into another. The bridge crew, save C.C. who had been almost expecting of the sight, could only gape in horror at the image of a Britannian air fleet on the main monitor, positioned directly in front of the _Ikaruga_ and blocking their path westward. The enemy fleet, which was clearly headed by a battleship, was quick to open fire with their hyper-velocity cannons, and the _Ikaruga_ rocked violently as the accelerated projectiles slammed into its radiant shield.

"Enemy strength!?" Minami yelled out as the ship rocked to whoever was listening.

"Ten _Caerleon_-class destroyers and one _Logres_-class battleship directly ahead of us! Their shields are raised and they're moving to intercept!" Ichijiku reported hurriedly.

"Return fire and scramble our knightmares!" Ohgi stepped in and ordered this time. "Everything we have available!"

* * *

As soon as she had managed to get her pilot suit on, Kallen wasted no time in charging towards her waiting _Guren_. The other members of Zero Squadron followed her example and nearly sprinted toward their own_ Isshikis_, guaranteeing that in the next few minutes the Britannians would be seeing a lot of crimson. Both in the form of painted metal, and in the form of blood.

Once aboard her steed, Kallen moved herself into the usual "riding" position, only when she shifted her chest and legs, she felt slight pain shoot through her body. She cringed at this and pushed back against it; technically she had not been cleared for duty, and she knew why. Her wounds from the fight against Suzaku had yet to heal, and had it been any other time, Kallen would have likely been resting herself. Funny how that worked out.

After the canopy closed around her, thus sealing her inside, Kallen inserted the pilot key and watched as her instruments came to life. First the main monitor, which brought forth login clearance, then the auxiliary monitors, followed by the primary, then secondary sensors, and then the various control panels. Confirming its activation, the _Guren_'s head rose up from its body, its blue eyes flashing "on" as if it had actually been awakened. While she was far from one hundred percent, at least her machine was at optimal condition, responding soundly to her touch. Had the machine actually been a living creature in fact, Kallen would have suspected that it would be _anxious_ to head into battle once more, especially after being unable to participate in the Pendragon strike.

_Just how the hell did they find us!?_ Kallen's mind bellowed as she completed her final checks, before she subsequently pushed such inquiry back. This wasn't the time for her to ask questions; only to kill the bastards that were trying to kill them.

A moment later, she toggled her radio to establish a line to the bridge. "Rei Leader to bridge, I'm heading out. Prepare the catapult for me after the _Zangetsu_ launches."

"The hell you are!" Ohgi shouted out while his image appeared on her monitor. "You can't go out there _now_ Kallen, not when you haven't had time to heal!"

"I'm sorry General, but there's no time." Kallen replied with the utmost seriousness, despite knowing Ohgi was genuinely concerned for her. "As you said, we need everything that can fly right now, and that includes my_ Guren_. This isn't the time for me to be resting."

Ohgi sighed on his end. "I can understand your feelings Major. But with your fatigue, you'll be at a serious disadvantage; even against fifth generation knightmares, you may end up getting overwhelmed."

"Then I'll just make sure that doesn't happen." Kallen interrupted purposely. "Now do I have permission to launch or not?"

"Yes, yes." Ohgi acknowledged, though he didn't look pleased about it at all. "But on one condition: if you have any problems, return to the _Ikaruga_ immediately. I won't have you getting shot down at this time."

Kallen nodded at that, smiling slightly. "I'll keep that in mind General."

"You do that Rei Leader. Good hunting." Ohgi signed off, and his image was quickly replaced by that of Lieutenant Mutsuki's, who began giving Kallen directions toward her launch. Thus acting as if nothing were holding her back, she brought the _Guren_ forward to the elevator that would lead to the catapult deck.

Already, she knew this was not going to be an easy battle for her in the least, but Kallen also knew too much was at stake for her not to be out there. For now, the Red Dragoness and leader of the elite Zero Squadron would just have to deal with her physical turmoil as best as she could, all the while making mincemeat out of the Britannians like she always did.

* * *

**Britannian **_**Logres**_**-class air battleship **_**Longshanks**_  
**Pacific Ocean**  
**March 28, 2025 a.t.b.**

General Stephen Upson, 12th Duke of Georgia, couldn't help but flash a grin. Just as Prince Schneizel had assessed, the enemy battleship that struck Pendragon had been trying to sneak away from the mainland under the sea, but now it had been flushed out and forced into the open by the Second Prince's strategy. And it was up to Upson's taskforce to entrap the enemy vessel for its due destruction, which he felt a deep sense of honor for the privilege.

As for the enemy warship, which was clearly a battleship in size and design, the General had no idea what to make of it. It certainly was intimidating aesthetically, especially from its jet black colored hull, but at the same time looked nothing like any warship the European Union or even the defunct Chinese Federation had ever constructed. This was something of a frustration for Upson because he would have liked to have known which country had the brass to strike against the Imperial Capital, as well as who exactly he was about to kill for it. At the least there was the sigil on the bow, which Upson made a point to remember for future reference.

"Maintain barrage!" Upson called out as the enemy battleship began to return the Britannians' fire with its own hyper-velocity cannons. "Don't give them the slightest bit of respite!"

Despite the General's words however, the _Longshanks_ creaked in protest as a projectile salvo slammed into its "Blaze Luminous" shield. Upson grunted while gripping the arm rests of his chair, all the while leering back at the enemy ship, the very vessel that dared strike against the Imperial Capital. Even though it was fiercely outnumbered and outgunned, the black ship did not even forward a surrender request and instead chose to fight against all of the odds; not that Upson would have accepted any surrender of course.

"Sir, the enemy battleship is launching knightmares!" the sensor operator announced in alarm.

Though the message was meant to be a warning, Upson smiled at that. "Launch our knightmares as well and order the other ships to do the same. Weapons, be careful not to hit any friendlies as they launch."

The communications operator followed the commands and broadcast those orders. A moment later, he looked back up at the General. "General, Lieutenant Lawrence is requesting permission to deploy in the _Wyvern_."

That earned another sinister grin on the part of Upson. He had almost been hoping for the opportunity to test out Britannia's latest war machine against a true enemy force rather than an aggressor unit. "Tell him to standby on it, for just a little longer. We'll wait until their formation is in proper disarray before showing them Britannia's newest weapon."

Once more, the operator communicated the message and Upson beamed with anticipation. Though it had proven to be an effective weapon, it was Upson's opinion that the knightmare frame was now essentially obsolete; the flimsy humanoid armor had served its purpose well in Area 11 and beyond, but now that every nation in the world had its own model, it was time for Britannia to move onto a more effective weapon. A weapon of such power, that the very image of it would properly instill fear and submission in the Empire's enemies, as well as keep their allies in check.

Thus, Upson believed in the near future, just as the world had trembled at the sight of the knightmare frame fifteen years ago, it would once again tremble at the sight of the knight giga fortress. As would the enemies that were before him.

* * *

Kallen sneered with annoyance as she saw the cloud of Britannian knightmares fly forth from their respective carriers. Though she didn't detect any high end seventh or eighth generation knightmares among the formation, the sheer numbers alone could be overwhelming to her side if they didn't fight seriously. It also didn't help that those _Sutherlands_ and _Gloucesters_ were all in proper fighting condition, whereas several of the Black Knights' _Akatsukis_ were not fully repaired from the Pendragon siege. As far as Zero Squadron was concerned however, only Rikichi's machine was not at its full composition, as it was missing its left arm and slash harken.

"You know the drill Rei." Kallen stated over the radio to the rest of her unit, as she had the _Guren_ move its radiant wave surger arm forward, opening the hand manipulator toward the enemy formation. Through some means she didn't understand, she managed to speak without any pain in her voice. "Spread out and engage the Britannians at will. Don't let any reach the _Ikaruga_."

_"Youkai!"_ "Roger!" "As ordered!" "Time for a slaughter…!" Zero Squadron gave their simultaneous acknowledgments in turn, each one sounding more than anticipating for the coming engagement, as usual for them. That was one thing Kallen liked about her squad; no matter how badly they were outnumbered or outmatched, they were always waiting and willing to fight. A trait that she herself possessed, even when on the inside she was plagued with pain and self-doubt.

It was General Tohdoh who got the first kill, with the _Zangetsu_ launched into a group of _Sutherlands_ that was too slow to evade, managing to take out three with his seidotou in the process. As if spurred by the death of their comrades, the Britannians were quick to respond toward the Black Knight formation, raining bullets and shells toward them. Fortunately, the Black Knight pilots had been paying attention, and so most of them were able to evade the initial barrage and counterattack in kind, with the two opposite forces converging on each other like two swarms of hornets from different hives.

With a battle cry, Kallen sent the _Guren Nishiki_ screaming into the enemy formation, releasing a radiation beam from the surger that obliterated two _Sutherlands_. In the midst of the twin explosions, several more knightmare frames came charging at her, causing Kallen to scowl and draw her "Ryogo Otsugata Tozantou" fork knife. As the knightmares moved at her with their lances or stun tonfas, she flew at them as well, parrying any weapon that threatened to pierce or pulverize her knightmare, while slashing at the units holding them. Of those, she managed to move around a _Gloucester_ and stab it in the cockpit, visibly drawing blood once she withdrew the knife, and then proceeded to cut apart four _Sutherlands_, causing them to either explode or drop to the sea below.

Then her sensors beeped a warning of enemies locking onto her, making her swivel around and deploy her radiant wave shield to deflect the incoming fire, which turned out to be explosive shells. Barely managing to keep the _Guren_ from recoiling from the explosions, she caught sight of her attackers; a trio of _Sutherlands_ and _Gloucester_ armed with large cannons. They maintained their fire, but by that point she had already evaded them and was already in the process of moving in for the kill.

Putting energy into her thrusters, she had the _Guren_ blast up into one of the _Sutherlands_ at face level and deliver a right armed claw slash to its head, creating deep gashes into the articulated faceplate. As the Britannian knightmare staggered, Kallen then leaped over it, twisted into a semi-barrel roll and slashed across the cockpit block with her knife, killing the pilot inside. Its comrades tried to bring vengeance upon her, but once more she evaded their fire, and their shells only served to finish off the mindless _Sutherland_.

"Better of your kind have tried, scum!" Kallen roared with a certain fury, once more fighting against the strain inside her. As if reflecting its pilot's wrath, the _Guren_ moved even faster. "And yet I still _live_!"

She then leveled her surger arm and fired another stream of radiation, destroying another _Sutherland_ in the process and causing the remaining two to split up and try to flank her. Her eyes narrowed at the predictability of their actions; even without her Geass active, she could see the two enemy machines were going to try and catch her in a crossfire, forcing her to focus on one while the other nailed her in the back. It was something she had seen Britannian pilots constantly try against her in the past, though not once were they able to catch her.

Deciding to go after the remaining _Gloucester_ first, she flew at it, deftly dodging its fire as well as the _Sutherland_'s in the process. Just as she reached her target, she jerked to her right and cut off the _Gloucester_'s cannon arm, before kicking the frame away. She then switched to her other target and aimed her left arm mounted grenade launcher at the _Sutherland_ in a split second, firing off a single rocket propelled grenade and sending the explosive into the enemy knightmare's torso, causing it to detonate in a grand explosion. With that accomplished, Kallen then turned her attention back to the _Gloucester_, which only now had managed to recover from her kick.

As the command knightmare attempted to draw its machine gun with its remaining arm, she closed the distance between the two knightmares and slammed her surger claw onto its head. With her enemy trapped, she let loose the power of the surger, watching as the knightmare's armor boiled in her grasp, before letting go and flying away to keep from being caught in the following explosion.

Not seeing any others advancing towards her, Kallen took the opportunity to target an enemy squadron that was trying to make a break for the _Ikaruga_, which in turn was already busy returning fire with the enemy airships with its hyper-velocity cannons, all while picking off stragglers with its onboard CIWS. Again, Kallen fired her surger into an enemy squadron; as a result, seven out of the twelve were immediately hit, with four going up in smoke, two losing individual limbs and the last the right wing of its float system, while the others managed to evade in time. To finish those off, Kallen simply switched the surger to spray mode and launched a spread wave of radiation, freezing the enemy knightmares in midair by disabling their main electronics. The _Ikaruga_'s missile launchers only finished the job, and Kallen felt no remorse at the sight of helpless Britannians being picked off one after the other.

Once more hearing her sensors beep a warning, Kallen turned and watched as a pair of _Gloucesters_ came at her with their lances. Flying at them herself, she grabbed one lance with her surger arm and fired off a pair of grenades from her launcher at the other, forcing that unit to abandon its attack. She then sent radiation into the lance and boiled it to liquid form, though its owner let go of it just before the radiation connected with its arm. Kallen threw the ruined lance away, but as she did, the _Gloucester_ launched its slash harkens, with one actually smashing into the _Guren_'s chest and knocking it back.

As the _Guren_ shook from the impact, Kallen felt her body slam against the back of her cockpit and then into the front. Upon her chest and stomach impacting, she let out a sharp cough and watched as blood sprayed out onto the panel. She looked at the red splatter grimly. _I'm in worse shape than I thought…_

But in spite of that, there was no time for her to pause and recuperate herself as the second _Gloucester_ came charging again. Her eyes shifting into a fierce glare at her enemy, Kallen made the _Guren_ fly up and evade the lance, then move toward the first _Gloucester_ and take hold of it with its claw. However, instead of sending radiation into the frame, Kallen instead spun the _Guren_ around a full one hundred eighty degrees, then while reflexively letting out a bellow, _threw_ the Britannian machine at its counterpart, who inadvertently impaled its comrade onto the lance, complete with the pilot's blood across the tip. Just as the still living enemy pilot comprehended what had happened, she fired off another burst of radiation and destroyed both machines in an intertwined blaze.

Breathing heavily as the glare of the explosion began to run out, Kallen wiped away the blood that had gathered underneath her chin and once more turned to look for a new target. Inside, she could feel her gut burn and her vision grow hazy, but still she refused to withdraw. "Not yet…!" she muttered to herself, putting the _Guren_ into full burn toward another enemy formation. "Not when I can still fight…!"

* * *

**Black Knights air battleship **_**Ikaruga  
**_**Pacific Ocean**  
**March 28, 2025 a.t.b.**

As the _Ikaruga_ shook again from another projectile hit, Ohgi gripped the sides of his chair in order to keep himself balanced. Though he was afraid, for himself and for others, he knew this was not the time or place for it to show. Zero had named him Vice Commander of the Black Knights years ago, and he still maintained that position to this day. Therefore, it was time for him to be what his subordinates expected him to be. "Is that fleet moving to meet us!"

"Negative, they're holding at current position!" Ichijiku exclaimed after looking over her sensor readings. Sure enough as Ohgi looked toward the line of Britannian airships, he saw that they remained in perfect blockade formation directly in front of them, as if they were attempting to create a wall in the sky. While this made it easier for the _Ikaruga_'s gunners to aim and fire back at them, it also blocked their escape route west, and with the sea below still teaming with attack subs, there wasn't much room to maneuver. Their shielding also seemed to hold up against the _Ikaruga_'s firepower; that was not a good thing either.

At the moment, Ohgi considered sending a few knightmares to try and take down the airships, but he wasn't sure if they would have any better luck at surpassing those accursed "Blaze Luminous" shields. He also considered using the remaining Raikous, of which there were six, but as they were their only trump card against reinforcements, which were guaranteed to appear, he instead chose to conserve them.

"Helm, bring us closer to that melee so that we can support with the CIWS." Minami instructed, finalizing some attack plan. It wasn't much, but it would better their chances. "Weapons, maintain barrage against the Brit warships, but concentrate our other weapons against the enemy knightmares; if we can diminish their numbers, we may yet be able to escape."

"_Nani!?_" Ichijiku suddenly shouted out, catching the attention of everyone. "Another unit has launched from the _Logres_, and at a far higher velocity than should be possible!"

"Put it on the main monitor!" Minami ordered without pause.

Soon enough, the enemy unit was properly displayed at the front of the bridge. And just as quickly, dawning realization came upon the bridge crew: the enemy unit wasn't another _Sutherland_ or _Gloucester_. In fact, it wasn't any kind of knightmare at all.

"That's…!" C.C. exclaimed out loud, unable to mask her own shock in spite of her usual control. Already her mind flashed back to the Black Rebellion and what she and Lelouch had fought against toward the end of it, as well as the power that particular type of machine possessed.

However, Ohgi wasn't so much concerned with the type of unit so much as where it was heading. Looking up at the sensor screen, he saw that the fortress' flight path was aimed directly toward the _Guren_. Faster than he ever thought he could move, he came down to Minami's station and toggled the radio.

"Rei Leader, behind you!"

* * *

Ohgi's warning came just before her sensors spouted off a warning of their own, that the _Guren_ had been locked onto and the enemy unit was about to fire. Without thinking, Kallen jerked back on her control sticks and forced the _Guren_ to ascend, just as a beam of black and crimson shot past where she had once been. It didn't take much time for her to realize that the beam had come from a Britannian hadron cannon.

The _Guren_'s head turning to face the direction where the beam had come from, Kallen's heart nearly froze in her chest at what she saw. "_Nanjasorya!_"

The best way Kallen could describe the object that was flying toward the battlefield at high speed was something like a tailless metal scorpion; its main body was a single carapace that featured a large rear with two sub-wings stretching out at the top, but then narrowed toward the front, where two large wings outstretched from the bottom into a set of thruster-laden pods. The aforementioned pods in turn held a pair of noticeable large pincer claws at the end, a pair of machine cannons toward the front and several missile launchers along the back, and then at the center of the bow was a maw shaped opening that was obviously where the hadron cannon was located. Just above the maw was a red "head piece" of sorts with gleaming blue "eyes", obviously where the main sensors were located. All of this came together with a maroon color scheme with gold and black highlights to create a menace that Kallen had not seen or heard of since the Black Rebellion: a Knight Giga Fortress.

Just as the enemy machine, which Kallen's computer somehow identified as the _Wyvern_, launched dual barrages from its machine cannons, the Red Dragoness once more ascended and returned fire with her radiant wave surger. But as she was sure she was about to score a direct hit, the fortress formed a "Blaze Luminous" shield over its body and deflected the concentrated radiation shot, then fired back as it continued on its advance. Kallen snarled at that as she evaded. "You've got to be kidding me!"

Reversing her flight path, she had the _Guren_ charge at the _Wyvern_, hoping to catch it before it raised its shield again. Her approach caused the fortress to shift its machine cannons over and open fire, which she managed to bank around, clenching her teeth as the excess G-forces ripped through her body. However, before she could even begin to level her surger toward where she suspected the cockpit was, the _Wyvern _claws flashed red as their MVS properties activated and the fortress launched them at her, in turn revealing them to be slash harkens. Knowing she was finished if she got caught, Kallen dropped her altitude and headed toward the ocean to evade, with the fortress following her as she did.

"Damn it!" Kallen cursed as she dodged the second claw slash harken. When she was low enough, she turned and fired another burst of radiation fortress' underbelly, but the "Blaze Luminous" engaged once more and deflected her attack as the _Wyvern _continued to move toward her. Putting all possible energy into her air glide wing system, Kallen shot away before the enemy machine could ensnare her, and upon failing to do so, the _Wyvern _fired its hadron cannon at her again, which she also narrowly avoided.

However, the _Wyvern _did not relent on its assault and kept it charge, forcing the _Guren_ to dive backwards and dodge another claw swipe. In turn, Kallen fired a spray of radiation in an effort to disable its motor functions like she had done numerous times against enemy knightmares, but once more that shield kept the radiation from reaching through and allowed the fortress to remain operational. The _Wyvern_ replied with a blaze of missile fire, and Kallen barely managed to raise her own shield.

"If I let this thing get through to the _Ikaruga_, it's all over…!" Kallen muttered out, before she charged back at the _Wyvern_ and fired off another surger beam, if only as a delaying tactic. Sure enough the _Wyvern_'s shield deflected it, and Kallen dove down to evade another claw shot. The fortress soon dropped after the red knightmare, and Kallen spiraled back up into the sky while dodging more of the _Wyvern_'s firepower, the knight giga fortress giving chase.

* * *

**Black Knights air battleship **_**Ikaruga  
**_**Pacific Ocean**  
**March 28, 2025 a.t.b.**

Though everyone was still focused on their respective duties, all contributing to keeping the _Ikaruga_ flying, a lot of attention on the bridge was still directed toward watching the knight giga fortress keep up its attack against the _Guren Nishiki_ and several of the other Black Knight affiliated knightmares. For the most part, the crimson knightmare was doing a great job at evading the scorpion-like machine's firepower, a true testament to the piloting skills of the Red Dragoness, but others were becoming less fortunate. This was capitalized when two _Akatsukis_ were vaporized by the _Wyvern_'s hadron cannon.

In the midst of this, Minami turned toward C.C. "Is that the demon you and Zero fought before?"

The witch shook her head. "No. While it clearly has a number of similarities to the _Siegfried_, this _Wyvern_ seems to be a totally different beast to contend with. If it were to break through, I do not think we would be able to withstand it for long."

"We've got another problem!" Ichijiku nearly howled, now looking as though she wanted to cry. "Two more incoming enemy groups, three destroyers each, are closing in from one-seven-zero and zero-two-zero respectively! They're moving at flank speed and have already begun launching knightmares!"

"No…!" Ohgi cursed under his breath in horror. Once more, reinforcements had been inevitable, but the Britannian commander had managed to send them in faster than he had anticipated. With enemy warships to the west, north and south, and Britannia to the east, they were well and truly trapped now.

"Load tubes one through six with Raikous! Target those enemy ships!" Minami ordered quickly.

"Belay that!" C.C. spoke up, much to the surprise of everybody. "The Britannians have already anticipated that response; those knightmares that just launched are now heading toward higher altitudes so they can intercept the missiles in midflight. We would only be wasting them!"

Looking back at the main monitor, those assembled saw that sure enough, the launched knightmares were ascending to provide a defense screen, while the second wave were the ones heading toward the _Ikaruga_'s current position. Ohgi visibly seethed at that; they had only used Raikous once and the bastards had already come up with a way to defend against it.

It was at that point Ohgi stepped in to direct orders himself. "Bring up a barrage against all incoming enemies, then have 1st and 3rd Squadron intercept the remainders! Don't let any of those knightmares or ships get through!"

As fast as those commands came forward, the different bridge personnel resigned themselves to carrying them out, knowing that each passing second was vital to their survival. With the crew suitably focused, Ohgi lowered his head somewhat and whispered just loud enough for Minami and C.C. to hear. "Finding us and trapping us like this… the enemy commander isn't some random Brit. It's got to be one of their higher generals, or perhaps a Knight of the Round."

"It's far worse than you think." C.C. replied, sounding far grimmer than anyone had remembered. "This kind of entrapment isn't meant to simply destroy us; it's meant to make an example out of us and send a message to all other nations and armies, that Britannia will show no mercy to her enemies. Besides the Emperor himself, there is only one other that employs such ruthlessness."

When the witch looked up, Ohgi and Minami saw that her face held the same grimness as her voice. "Second Prince Schneizel el Britannia, the same man that almost killed Zero at Shikinejima eight years ago."

* * *

Once more the _Ikaruga_ shook from enemy weapons fire, and while the rest of the room shook with it, Lelouch still remained firmly seated on his bench, his eyes fixated on the display screen at the far end of the room. Originally, he had used it to look over the battleship's schematics and various systems, as well as several of the new knightmare frames and support craft that the Black Knights possessed, if only to pass the time. But now, instead of the screen displaying blueprints and technical notes, it now showed black and purple tactical grid that represented the current battle. On one side was the _Ikaruga_ and Black Knights knightmares, all colored in red, with special units such as the _Guren Nishiki_ and the _Zangetsu_ highlighted, while on the proverbial other side were the Britannian fleets and their knightmares colored in yellow, with the knight giga fortress represented by an enlarged dot. As Lelouch could see, while the Black Knights were fighting valiantly, the yellow side grossly outnumbered the red side, and slowly but surely were overwhelming them.

Lelouch sighed at the grid, his fist tightening as he watched the battle play out. While he wasn't sure how they were found out, though he had his suspicions, he would have already guessed that the attack subs were meant to flush them out into the open sky, where an air fleet would be waiting to strike, thus trapping them between the hawks of the air and the sharks of the sea with no clear means of escape. Had Lelouch still been on Britannia's side, he would have praised the effectiveness of such a grand yet simplistic strategy, as it was something very few would have been able to come up with. That said, Lelouch could easily guess who was leading this "fox hunt".

Obviously, the knowledge that Schneizel was the Black Knights' central foe in this battle did little comfort to Lelouch. While the _Avalon_ may not have been amidst the airships that were attacking them now, the former Black Prince knew that his brother was out there, watching his prey struggle against the ensnarement he created, while secretly moving his personal forces to strike the final blow from the rear, thus leaving nothing for the Black Knights but total annihilation. For a moment Lelouch wondered if Schneizel would have stayed his hand if he knew his younger brother was aboard the enemy battleship, but Lelouch found himself shaking his head at that. If anything, it would only motivate his elder brother even more to keep one of his siblings from becoming a hostage or, if he knew the truth of it all, an enemy combatant.

With all of these factors, it was definitely apparent that the Black Knights, and Lelouch for that matter, would not survive if things stayed the way they are. The entire strategy had hung on the _Ikaruga_ remaining undetected as it slipped back to friendly territory, but now that she had been found out, it would only be a matter of time before Schneizel delivered them to checkmate with Britannia's pacific based forces. There would be no escape, nor any mercy.

In the midst of that thinking, Lelouch found his eyes shift from the screen in front of him to the part of the room where that black mask continued to lay. As he stared at the featureless purple orb at the center, he couldn't help but feel as if it were calling to him like a siren to pick it up and once more assume the role of the Demon King. It would have been so simple to direct the Black Knights toward providence; as long as Schneizel was not commanding at the front, then it would be all too easy to reverse the current favor of the battle. Every element was in place for it, and the Black Knights would certainly follow his commands to the letter. All that was needed was for him to don the mask as he did before, as it held a built in radio transmitter that he could use to directly contact the knightmares as well as the _Ikaruga_'s bridge.

Then just as quickly, he cringed and looked away, his face worn with disgust. _No!_ _I swore I would never wear that damned mask again. Everything will become undone if I do!_

Even thinking that, Lelouch knew that his refusal to take hold of the situation only meant that his death was assured with the rest of the Black Knights. However, inside of himself he actually found peace and solace in that fact; it would only allow him to atone for everything that he had done years ago, and in the scheme of things, it removed one more villain from terrorizing the world. Yes, if Lelouch vi Britannia was truly meant to die here before he could give into the temptation and return to being the harbinger of chaos, then he would wholeheartedly accept such a fate without pause or complaint, though he was just as accepting should death choose to elude him.

And in that last thought, Lelouch could finally understand how Suzaku felt with his forced living through the power of Geass. What worse fate could exist than being denied atonement for one's crimes?

* * *

Another _Akatsuki_ exploded near him, causing Tohdoh to grimace at the knowledge of losing another one of his own. In an act of retribution, he twisted the _Zangetsu_ around at the _Sutherland_ responsible, letting his machine cannons blaze into the enemy knightmare. A couple dozen warshots later, the blue colored machine seemed to crumple in midflight before finally exploding. Then dancing around another volley of machine gun blasts and warheads, Tohdoh twisted around and charged through the incoming formation of Britannian machines, slashing and dividing each one he passed with his seidotou before twisting around and firing a machine cannon barrage at the remainders.

_This is not going well…_ Tohdoh thought as he observed the battle while being in the midst of it. He watched as three _Sutherlands_ ganged up on an _Akatsuki_ and drove their lances into it from different angles, before jumping away to let it explode. As well in another part of the battle, he saw a _Gloucester_ throw a chaos mine in midair and spray another _Akatsuki_ with shrapnel, ripping it into pieces, before turning to move onto another target. All of that taken in, things were certainly looking grim for the Black Knights, whose knightmares were still damaged and pilots exhausted from the previous battle as well as dropping numbers quickly, whereas the Britannians had continually growing numbers. The situation was truly desperate.

But Tohdoh knew, just like Pendragon, that neither he nor the rest of the Black Knights could afford to die here. They needed to get through this and return to their new homeland, where the rest of their armies were waiting for them, depending on them, to deliver back their leader and renew their war that had started fifteen years ago. The Japanese had already suffered so much, and the demise of the _Ikaruga_ and all of the Black Knights' higher command would only be the final nail in the coffin for Tohdoh's people.

Thus the man who had been renowned as the Last Shogun pushed the _Zangetsu_ to the limit as the custom knightmare jetted toward another pair of _Sutherlands_. He caught the first _Sutherland_ by surprise and was able to slash it down the middle with a diagonal cut, forcing the enemy pilot to eject. His second victim was slightly quicker, managing to bring up its stun tonfas and parry Tohdoh's next slash. At that, Tohdoh engaged the seidotou's rocket thrusters at full burn and pushed the enemy knightmare back a few meters, then performed a spin and caught it off guard at the side. One quick slash into the cockpit later, and the _Sutherland_ fell from the sky.

As if spurred on by the viciousness of his attacks, the Britannians closest to him regrouped and concentrated their collective firepower against the _Zangetsu_. Tohdoh swore loudly at this and engaged his radiant wave shield while charging ahead, using the shield both for its intended purpose and as a battering ram of sorts to smash into a nearby _Gloucester_. Knocking his hapless victim into the crossfire, the commander issue knightmare was sprayed with bullets while Tohdoh darted sideways to the left.

"Not yet! We're still not dead yet!" Tohdoh called out, pushing his feet down on his cockpit's foot pedals, sending the _Zangetsu_ into a steep climb toward the gathered knightmares around him. Upon reaching them, he immediately began to butcher them one by one, fighting with any and all muster the General could manage within himself.

However, in the midst of his slaughter, his sensors beep, signaling new contacts incoming from the main battle fleet. The third wave of enemy reinforcements had arrived.

"_Kisama!_" Tohdoh cursed before switching to broadband. "All Squadrons be alert! We have new arrivals coming in from one-eight-zero!"

"We may not be able to hold them, Shogun One!" Inoue spoke, her voice sounding quite worn despite her best attempts to conceal it.

"We _have_ to hold them Ryusei One! We lose everything if we fall here!" Tohdoh replied back with great force. Though he felt just as exhausted, he hoped the force behind his tone concealed his fatigue from those under his command. "2nd and 4th Squadrons form up on my position, we'll charge them down the middle! Take down as many as you can!"

"_Shouchi_, Shogun One!" Senba and Chiba both acknowledged simultaneously, with the _Akatsukis_ of their individual squads maneuvering in formation around the _Zangetsu_.

With that, Tohdoh led the charge against the enemy formation, seidotou brandished. But even as he began to tear into the newly arrived knightmares in hope of keeping them away from their mothership, he could still feel a sense of dread within himself, toward the notion that if things remained the way they were, the Black Knights would at last be laid to rest.

* * *

A snapshot from Kallen's radiant wave surger at long last tore through the _Wyvern_'s left wing pod, causing it to explode after being properly boiled. As if it had been a living creature that just had one of its limbs cut off, the knight giga fortress visibly shook, before readjusting its flight course to move against the _Nishiki_'s side and firing several missiles at her. While she dodged that attack and the follow up machine cannon barrage, Kallen smirked. At long last she had managed to wound the beast.

But even though both the machine and its pilot's pride were damaged, Kallen knew the fight was far from over. While in the middle of a maneuver, she swung her left arm up towards the fortress and fired off two grenades from her launcher, specifically into the front of the machine where she thought the main sensors were located. Though the explosives would in no way break through the enemy machine's shield, the flash alone would incapacitate the pilot for just a few seconds. That gave Kallen enough time to dart toward the machine's underside again, where she prepared her surger for another spread shot, one that would disable the fortress and leave it helpless against her.

Unfortunately the enemy pilot managed to respond quickly in spite of losing temporary control of his machine, firing the remaining slash harken and angling it around to strike the _Guren_. As she was forced to abandon her attack in order to avoid the MVS claw attached harken, Kallen's face twisted with frustration. "Bastard!" she called out, firing another surger beam in a follow up attempt to strike, but these were only deflected by the shield once more.

Following this, the _Wyvern_ fired its thrusters to gain some distance from the _Guren_, at the same time firing more hyper-velocity shells from its main cannons. Kallen just barely managed to climb up and out of the enemy machine's fire zone, continuing to bombard it with her surger bursts and grenades while flitting around the air like a dragonfly. But no matter how much firepower she directed against the enemy's shield, nothing pasted through the green shroud of energy, and the _Wyvern_ charged in once more with its own guns blazing. And as Kallen's shield would not hold up as well against the knight giga fortress' onboard weapons, she was forced to expend more energy by maneuvering around each passing blow, pushing both the _Guren_ and herself further to their respective limits.

Already Kallen was feeling dazed, as she felt her nerves slowly begin to lose feeling and her eyes begin to lose vision. She was mostly fighting by instinct now, using motions to control her knightmare which were so familiar that she could perform them just by reflex alone. While it didn't bring her any closer to defeating the _Wyvern_, it at least kept her alive and circumvented her exhaustion and physical fatigue somewhat. But at the same time she still needed to retain her focus in order to overcome her adversary, which was an extremely difficult task at least, and Kallen could feel herself losing more and more of it with each passing second.

_I can't keep this up for much longer._ Kallen's mind managed to think amidst her various instinctive actions and reactions against the knight giga fortress. _I have to nail him and get back to the ship before I blackout or he shoots me down. Come on Kallen, finish this!_

Before she could do anything however, a flash caught her eye and after breaking away from the _Wyvern_, she saw what it was. Immediately she felt a surge of horror enter her body. "No, the _Ikaruga_!"

At long last, the enemy cruisers had managed to overwhelm the _Ikaruga_'s starboard radiant wave shielding enough that its generators had overheated and shutdown, thus allowing the enemy airships shower the Black Knight vessel with cannon fire. Though its armor seemed to hold up in the assault, Kallen knew it wouldn't stay strong forever, signified by the trail of smoke that had emerged from the constant barrage. To make matters worse, she also detected several knightmare frames make a beeline for the wounded battleship, akin to sharks having been enticed by a stream of blood.

"Oh no you don't!" Kallen roared, changing her flight path to intercept the enemy knightmares before they could even reach the _Ikaruga_. Other Black Knights followed suit, but they were only able to catch up to a few _Sutherlands_ and _Gloucesters_.

Angling the radiant wave surger, Kallen struck four _Sutherlands_ with a sweeping beam, obliterating them just as they were closing in. Then she went into a steep dive, coming up behind a _Gloucester_ and driving her fork knife into the cockpit block, then withdrawing it quickly and appearing before a _Sutherland_, where she slashed it across the waist. The _Sutherland_'s wingman noticed her at that point, and so abandoned its advance on the _Ikaruga_ to go after her, but by then she had already aimed her left arm and fired off a single grenade, destroying that knightmare as well.

Acting without pause, Kallen came up to another _Gloucester_ and shot up in the air so that she could drop down in front of the advancing knightmare, upside down. By the time the enemy pilot was able to level the machine gun at her, she had already latched on, induced a sufficient amount of radiation into the frame, and then tossed the freshly boiled machine into one of its nearby comrade's like a makeshift hand grenade. The _Gloucester_ soon exploded and took its hapless ally with it, but Kallen wasn't able to watch it, as she still had more enemy knightmares to kill.

By now several enemy knightmares had gotten close enough to the _Ikaruga_ to launch attacks, but the onboard CIWS made short work out of the majority of them. However, the few that managed to evade were able to fire back with their machine guns and grenade launchings, taking out the individual weapon turrets and hardports. While these attacks were pinpricks compared to the damage done by the capital ships, they were still limiting the _Ikaruga_'s ability to fight back, and it wouldn't be long before one of them were to attempt a move against the starboard side air glide wing or the other shielding arrays.

"Damn it Minami, get those shields back up…!" Kallen blared as she had the _Guren_ launch forth to intercept those enemy knightmares, already targeting a _Sutherland_ for vaporization in the process.

And right as she was about to pull the trigger, her sensors beeped shrilly in warning, directing her to behind. Just as Kallen was in the midst of turning, the _Wyvern_ flew in and like the dragon that it was named for, opened its maw and launched a hadron stream at the _Guren_. Knowing she had no time to dodge, Kallen reflexively threw up her radiant wave shield, which deflected the majority of the blast, but eventually broke under the stress, allowing the remaining stream to break through and sheer off a portion of the _Guren_'s left side, including its left arm and lower left air glide wing as well as knock it back.

In the midst of the recoil, Kallen's head flew back and hit the cockpit canopy hard, causing her to lose all sense and sprawl across the back as the _Guren_ fell from the sky. Her ears could hear the calls and cries of her comrades amidst the warning alarms of her instruments, and her darkening eyes could just see three of her subordinates from Zero Squadron attempt to fly up and reach her, but had been intercepted by another _Sutherland_ squadron. And as she herself attempted to reach her hand out to her control stick, she felt both her strength and her consciousness at long last drain away.

* * *

**Black Knights air battleship **_**Ikaruga  
**_**Pacific Ocean**  
**March 28, 2025 a.t.b.**

"Rei Leader, Rei Leader pull up! You're dropping!" Mutsuki pleaded into her headset as the red knightmare continued to fall further in altitude on the main monitor, with the _Wyvern_ diving in to intercept her. But in spite of the hurriedness of the comm. operator's tone, the _Guren_ did not correct its altitude, neither did its pilot reply back. "Rei Leader respond!"

Toward the rear of the bridge, Minami wore an expression of clear worry while C.C. remained poker faced at best, but inside held a deep concern for her acknowledged friend's safety. Yet neither of them could compare to the clear anxiety that had taken hold of Ohgi, who had just jumped up from his chair and grabbed the edges of his command console with such a grip that it seemed his fingers would indent themselves into the metal. In the face of the _Guren_'s plunge, all mental control he had over his emotions had dissolved, and it was shown clearly over Ohgi's face. It wasn't even clear if the Vice-Commander was breathing or not.

"Come on Kallen, pull up…!" Ohgi whispered under his breath. Although his exclamations were barely above whispers, the fear that was held in each word was apparent. "Pull up, get out of there!"

Yet the knightmare continued to fall, and with each meter that was lost, Ohgi could feel his regret and despair grow, as he realized he had both allowed his closest comrade to die, as well as break his promise to the late Naoto Kouzuki, in which he had sworn to protect his little sister. In such desperation, Ohgi felt himself begin to pray silently, to no particular deity, for a miracle…

* * *

_No…!_ Lelouch heard his mind cry out even when his voice did not, as his eyes watched in horror as the _Guren_ fell like a dying phoenix. In those milliseconds, which had become eons unto themselves, the former prince heard his own breath draw into a great slow as his throat ran dry, the air itself seemingly being choked, and his heart freeze within his chest, causing everything to grow cold. And within his mind, Lelouch found every thought and emotion swept away and replaced with unrelenting fear and anxiety, all directed to the prospect of losing the one who, above all others, had believed in him the most.

Although Lelouch never wanted to place any special priority on any one soldier, Kallen Kouzuki had been the clear exception to that rule even as far back as eight years ago. Back then she had been his most skilled soldier and his most devoted follower, to the point that she chose not to learn his secret identity when he had offered, and had even gone so far as to protect his face from the other Black Knights. She had always been there for him, to protect him in battle when he was unable to do so himself, and to carry out his commands to the best possible outcome, as well as to keep him focused on his objective, if indirectly. She had also been the only one to lay her life on the line for him, specifically at Shikine Island where she abandoned the _Guren_ to plead with Suzaku to let him go, just as the _Avalon_ appeared to spray the battlefield with hadron fire.

And now, in the present day, her worth and devotion to him lived on as she had put her life on the line once again to go deep within enemy territory and liberate him from his invisible prison, even when he himself did not want to be freed. In the process she had also fought Suzaku to ensure his escape as well as her own; a fight in which she had not come out of unscathed if her current performance was any indication. And while Lelouch had not interacted with her since he had regained his memories, he knew she meant much to him even to this day; his remembering her face while still under his father's Geass alone meant that he cared about her more than he should have allowed himself.

But the _Guren_ continued to fall, in spite of the various radio messages directed at it, as well as the knightmares trying to fight their way through masses of Britannians to reach her. Lelouch knew there wasn't much time before she crashed, but nothing that was being done was able to avert her fall. Her death was very much imminent.

In the face of that knowledge, Lelouch felt himself fight against his own reluctance and doubt, and he again looked toward the black mask on the floor. He could still feel it call to him, but instead of attempting to draw him in like a temptress, it was now a hurried, desperate cry for him to come to the aid of his soldier, his devoted subordinate, his friend. This time, Lelouch could not hold himself back from its siren song, with the urge to move forward and reach out to her while there was still time overpowering his resolve to keep the Demon King from returning, as was the familiar desire to take hold of the battle and ensure their survival.

Yet he knew what would happen once he took the mask again: that once he wore it and identified himself as Zero, he would not be able to do away with that existence again. Was the life of one soldier, no matter who she was to him, truly worth that?

At that thought, Lelouch's mind flashed back to their dance in the Grand Hall, and the smile that she wore on her face throughout the waltz, displaying both her happiness and satisfaction just from being there with him. That was all the incentive he needed. _Damn it to hell…!_

Though he should have remained where he was for the sake of the world he had done harm to years ago, Lelouch could not keep himself from leaping up off the bench and taking hold of the black mask once more.

* * *

She was at peace, perhaps for the first time in a long time. In her mind's eye she could see herself being with her family once again, what she once had before Britannia ever invaded her home, before her brother's death, before she had joined the Black Knights and before Japan had been destroyed. This all brought out a warm feeling within her; at long last she was where she had belonged.

"What are you doing? Why are you letting yourself fall!" she heard a voice yell out to her. She looked up and around, but could not find the voice's bearer, even though she knew who it was.

"_Onii-chan_...?" she looked around the white space she had apparently appeared in, but saw nothing at first.

Then, as if responding to her exclamation, the whited out image of her beloved elder brother appeared before her, his expression one of grave concern. "Don't tell me you want to die in a place like this, after coming so far!"

"But _Onii-chan_, I tried…" she murmured, feeling emotion overwhelm her at being able to see her brother again; had she been able to, she would have ran up and embraced him as she did when she was a child. "I really tried, but I wasn't good enough, and I don't have any more reason to live…"

"Don't give me that!" her brother replied with firmness. "You have every reason to live now that you've taken your first step toward making your dream reality!"

"My dream…?" she wondered out loud.

"Yes, the same dream I held, as did our mother and our father. The dream of a world free from turmoil and destruction." her brother answered, his voice calmer now. "I was unable to achieve that in my lifetime, but you still have a chance. That is why you must live through this!"

"But…" she tried to phrase her words amidst her tears. "But…wha- how do I do this? I don't understand."

Her brother's expression softened at that. "You'll come to understand in time. But for now, you have to survive." then his voice regained strength with the following words. "Now wake up and fight! Are you just going to let yourself be defeated like this!"

"_Onii-chan_!" she called out and attempted to reach out toward her brother's image, before she felt life return to herself…

* * *

"…K1 to Q1, do you read me? Respond!" the _Guren_'s radio blared in her ears.

In an instant, Kallen's eyes flashed open, just to see that she was about to collide headlong into the pacific. Quickly correcting her flight path, which was no easy task with a missing air glide wing, she also managed to evade the _Wyvern_'s follow up cannon attack against her, while skimming across the water's surface. And as she fired back with her radiant wave surger, she couldn't help but wonder about that voice, as only one person had ever referred to her with that codename. _Is that Lelouch?_

Sure enough, the channel was on a private frequency that Zero had established with her eight years ago, and only he had access to it. She quickly keyed in to reply. "This is Q1, reading you loud and clear K1!"

Kallen could almost see Lelouch sit back in relief from the very clear sigh that came over the radio. "Good." Lelouch said, before continuing further. "I have orders for you Q1…"

At that, Kallen was forced to continue her fight with the _Wyvern_ while keeping her ears open for Lelouch's instruction. By now the knight giga fortress was firing its hadron cannon and machine cannons at her in sequence, forcing her to zig-zag across the water's surface while returning fire.

"Once you destroy that knight giga fortress, you are to take Zero Squadron and provide cover as the _Ikaruga_ withdraws our knightmares. When this is complete, you will withdraw as well." Lelouch stated as the fighting continued.

Though Kallen was in the middle of a fight, her ears heard the words perfectly, but she wasn't sure if her brain interpreted them correctly. "…Say again K1?"

"You heard me the first time Q1." Lelouch replied, voice sounding even. "Provide cover so that we may retreat."

Kallen visibly cringed as she felt a missile come close to striking her. Though she was still able to fight, the fatigue on her body was still there. "Negative, I cannot comply. I've taken too much damage to my frame!"

"You must comply Q1." Lelouch answered, now sounding a bit hurried. "This is the only way we will be able to escape with our forces intact as possible…!"

Kallen snarled as she climbed back into the sky, continuing her barrage against the _Wyvern_ as she did. "Even if I understood what your plan was, I don't think I'll be able to stay in the air for long!"

"I know you Q1. You've taken far worse damage than this before and were still able to fight." Lelouch tried to be reassuring, in spite of being pressed for time. "Just as well, you're the only one that can perform this task and return in one piece."

Narrowly dodging another hadron shot, Kallen inadvertently turned the _Guren_ far too hard, and the resulting G-forces caused her body to surge with strain from the pressure. She let out a hardened growl as she tried to push it back, but this time it nearly overcame her. She knew she wasn't going to last much longer, and her confidence in being able to carry out Lelouch's plan also diminished considerably. "I don't want to fail you K1…" she murmured, her voice hoarse from the ordeal. "But… I don't know if…"

"_You will succeed!_" Lelouch's voice staunchly declared over the radio, so loud that there was no way it could have been misheard.

Upon her ears picking up those words, Kallen's eyes widened from their intensity and directness. Only now did she truly realize that the one commanding her wasn't Lelouch Lamperouge, the exiled prince that knew not his place in the world, but Zero, her commander and leader of the Black Knights, now awakened after a five year sleep.

"I didn't give you the _Guren_ or make you commander of my personal squadron because you're a good pilot." Lelouch continued, all the while Kallen renewed her attack against the _Wyvern_, yet continued to listen to his words intently. "I did those things because of all the Black Knights, you are one of the few that can perform 'miracles' like me. You are one of the few that can accomplish the impossible!"

Lelouch paused for a moment breath. "And that is exactly what I am calling on you to do now Q1, a task I know you are capable of performing, even in your current condition."

Time seemed to slow for Kallen at that point; not even the _Wyvern_'s attacks seemed to register as much to her now, although she still continued her evasions and offensives. "…How…can you be so sure I can do this…?"

The voice on the other end remained silent for a moment longer, before finally replying. "Because…" Lelouch said, his voice now calm and collected, as if to display the total seriousness on what he was going to say next. "Eight years ago, you were the one I chose to be my knight. My Knight of Zero."

Kallen could feel the sharp intake of air she drew in at those few words. Even though she understood the full extent of what he was saying, she did not know how to respond to it. It was as if the workings of the universe suddenly became as clear as daylight, and with it her purpose became evident. For the first time since she had known him, Kallen understood the full extent of her importance to Zero, no, Lelouch, and how much he truly relied on her and trusted her, just as princes only chose the most worthy of followers to be knights in their service. Even the codename he had given her, Q-1, meant to denote her position as Queen on his Chess board, had never made her see just how vital she was to the game that Lelouch played.

"Now…" Lelouch continued to speak, his voice rising in strength with each word. "Just as you did years ago, follow my orders and destroy our enemies so that we may live on! Kallen!"

Before she could reply, the _Wyvern_ had moved in closer to the _Guren_ and launched its remaining slash harken at it. This time, the _Guren_ did not bother to dodge or even bring up its shield; it instead hovered in the air as the claw tipped harken drew closer. And then, at the last possible second, it reached its right arm up and actually grabbed the top mandible of the harken's claw, holding it in place in midair while the knightmare itself barely moved a few meters. In turn, the _Wyvern_ attempted to withdraw the harken, but by some seemingly unexplained force, the _Guren_ held it in place.

In the cockpit, Kallen suddenly felt as if a second wind came over her, pushing back her strain and focusing her on the objective. She knew what was needed now. "_Yes…"_ she looked up, her left eye shifting in color. "_As you command, Zero!_"

And with that, the red sigil formed at the base of her pupil and Kallen could now "see" every aspect of the battle, from the _Akatsukis_ continuing to fight against the _Sutherlands_ and _Gloucesters_, to the ships that hung in the air as far away as they could while continuing to bombard the _Ikaruga_ with cannon fire, to the air battleship's crew continuing to perform their duties adequately in the hope of survival. And above them all, she "saw" how she would destroy the _Wyvern_, whose pilot still wore a face of confusion at how the red knightmare had effortlessly caught its claw slash harken.

Leering, Kallen engaged the radiant wave surger and watched as the claw bubbled across its form, before she let go and flew away to avoid the explosion. She saw that this deeply angered the enemy pilot, who was now firing at her with all of his remaining weapons, but the Black Knight ace could easily see the firing points and velocity of each round or energy burst, making the _Guren_ dance almost effortlessly around each attack. To throw the _Wyvern_ further off of its edge, she had the _Guren_ fly toward it, then dart around it, moving at different angles and firing small bursts from her surger to force it in engaging its "Blaze Luminous", taking advantage of the _Guren_'s smaller size when compared to the fortress.

"You can't last forever." Kallen yelled over the _Guren_'s loudspeaker when she was close enough, knowing that the enemy pilot was able to hear her at that range. "I'll spare your life if you choose to retreat now!"

Instead of a verbal reply, the _Wyvern_ responded with a full volley of missiles, slamming them against the _Guren_'s radiant wave shield and nearly knocking Kallen back in the process.

"So be it…!" Kallen replied, as she somersaulted to the _Wyvern_'s side and went spiraling through the _Wyvern_'s next barrage of cannon fire and blasts. More and more, Kallen could "see" the enemy pilot continue to lose his stability in dealing with her, and as a result he became sloppier in his attacks and defending against her own. She just needed to push him a little more before finally finishing him off with her last ace in the hole.

At long last that opportunity came when she flew toward the front of it. Instead of attempting to take her down with its firepower, the _Wyvern_ instead attempted to ram her at full speed, not even bothering to raise its shield against her. At this, Kallen raised her surger and fired it much like a slash harken, with the claw arm rocketing towards the incoming knight giga fortress while remaining connected to the _Guren_ by a cable tether. In an haphazard attempt to avert its coming doom, the enemy pilot tried throwing up the "Blaze Luminous" at the last minute, but it was too late: the surger past through before the shield could completely formed and latched straight onto where Kallen "saw" was the cockpit access hatch, which had coincidentally been placed right on the headpiece at the front. She now had the Britannian menace properly dead to rights.

**_"BURN!"_** Kallen roared in a manner that made the title "Red Dragoness" all the more befitting, while pressing down on the trigger and watching as the radiation temperature gauge rocketed from 0 to 3500+.

As she "saw", radiation shot through the cockpit and spread across the upper hull of the _Wyvern_, its armor bubbling just like any normal knightmare's would when in her hold. The pilot struggled to try and eject the cockpit, but radiation had evaporated the ejection mechanism and rockets, thus trapping him inside. In spite of herself, Kallen held some pity at this, but then she had given the fool a chance to return and survive, which he chose not to take. Moments later, the entirety of the _Wyvern_ was bubbled over from the radiation, causing the fortress to appear bloated and ungainly if only briefly, before Kallen let go of the hull and withdrew the surger, allowing the knight giga fortress to erupt into one of the largest explosions she had seen up close.

Not bothering to watch as the _Wyvern_'s flaming remnants rained down into the ocean below, Kallen toggled her squadron's "push" frequency. "Zero Squadron, to me!" she bellowed.

No more than mere seconds after she gave that command, the eleven _Guren Isshiki__s_ moved in and leveled out on either side of Kallen's _Nishiki_, their pilots waiting to receive their commander's will. "By our new orders, we are to provide cover to our comrades as they withdraw back to the _Ikaruga_! Not one Britannian is to make it through our onslaught while preparations for our escape are made! _Now, reengage!_"

With the order given, all twelve knightmares dispersed and returned to battle.

* * *

**Black Knights air battleship** _**Ikaruga  
**_**Pacific Ocean**  
**March 28, 2025 a.t.b.**

To say that the bridge crew were shocked at the sudden recovery of the _Nishiki_ and the ruthless destruction of the knight giga fortress would have been an understatement. From the triplet of "bridge bunnies" at the front of the bridge to where Ohgi was sitting at the rear, everyone was wearing nearly the same expression, with eyes widened in shock and awe and jaws slacked, with breaths coming in slow. The battle was still going on, but no one could help but feel stunned at Kallen Kouzuki's incredible display of power and tenacity in the face of an at one time overwhelming adversary.

"_Kami…_When did Kallen ever get that strong?" Minami muttered offhandedly, signifying the thoughts of himself and everyone else. Though he and Ohgi knew that Kallen had obviously activated her Geass at that point, it was still startling to see her move and fight while it was active; she was almost like an entirely different kind of warrior when utilizing the "Power of the Queen".

Only C.C. didn't seem to show any kind of surprise toward it, instead just holding a deep smirk. Clearly, she was both impressed and proud of how Kallen used the power that she had granted her, much more how she had been able to adapt it so effectively.

And then, as if to break into the moment as everyone's focus came back into the fight, another event occurred that nobody had expected. First came the sound of the bridge's intercom activating, and then came the sound of a voice that only the veterans from the Black Rebellion and beyond could remember, while the rest were taken back by even greater surprise than what they had felt earlier.

_"To all Black Knights, this is Zero!"_ the voice declared with resolution throughout the _Ikaruga_, and to every BK affiliated knightmare in the sky. Such was the power of that voice that even if by a small margin, hope was once more felt by the members of the Black Knights. "As of this moment, I am taking command of the battle at hand! If you wish to survive, then follow my orders to the letter!"

"Ohgi…" Minami started to mutter, but before he could continue with what he wanted to say, the General held his hand out to silence.

"First, I command the immediate withdrawal of all forces on the field back to the _Ikaruga_. Zero Squadron will provide cover."

Needless to say, that command created much confusion amongst several of the crew as well as the knightmare pilots outside, with many questioning their apparent leader's sanity. Only the true believers, namely the ones that had seen Zero in action in battles before, knew not to voice such questions, only to listen as he continued his instruction.

"Second, the remaining Raikous are to be loaded into tubes seven through twelve, each set for maximum burst. When all knightmares are recovered, the missiles are to be launched to the specified coordinates that I am now sending to the bridge…"

Sure enough, the bridge's main monitor flashed to display the exact coordinates of where Zero intended the Raikous to land. However, even more confusion was generated amongst the bridge crew, as the coordinates set were nowhere near any of the Britannian airships, but instead toward six points under the water's surface, with the depth of each marked at 1300 meters.

"Once these instructions are carried out, all objectives for our escape will be accomplished. From there on, we may live to properly repay the favor to Britannia another day. Zero out."

"Is he insane!?" someone blurted out once the message went dead. "We're going to be sitting ducks if we follow those orders!"

A direct hit against the bow shields caused the entire ship to shutter and almost overturn, sending a direct message to those assembled. Time was running out, and fast.

"Regardless of how they appear…" C.C. stepped up much to the further surprise of those assembled. "You have a better chance at survival following Zero than you do fighting it out. I suggest you obey his commands!"

Ohgi and Minami had both concluded this as well, although they were also taken back by the sheer directness and power that was behind her tone and words. Inside, both men were starting to wonder whether Tohdoh's earlier inquiry about her being a military leader at one time could possibly be true, but that could be considered another day. Looking toward the _Ikaruga_'s captain, Ohgi gave a single nod, which was all Minami needed.

"Right, open all retrieval bays and maintain CIWS fire; I only want _our_ knightmares to get through!" Minami ordered, following up quickly. "Load tubes seven through twelve with Raikous, set for full burst. Pre-target them for the given coordinates!"

* * *

**Britannian **_**Logres**_**-class air battleship **_**Longshanks  
**_**Pacific Ocean**  
**March 28, 2025 a.t.b.**

The enemy battleship was now well and effectively pinned down, as it had no way of completely evading or defending the incoming three way crossfire. Though dawn was still sometime away, Upson continued to watch with glee as various flashes of light continued to erupt just up ahead, as he knew the majority of them were either the invaders' knightmares exploding or the battleship being struck with shell and missile fire. The enemy's numbers were falling fast and their mothership was being hammered with the continuous barrage. She would not hold out for much longer, the Britannian General knew, and once it fell from the sky into the dark sea below, his ascension to Grand Duke would all be assured. Not even the _Wyvern_'s demise could hinder his feelings and anticipation toward success. _Just a little more, and then…_

"Sir, unless my instruments are mistaken…" the sensor operator said with peculiarity. "It appears that the enemy is withdrawing their knightmare frames."

"What?" Upson looked up, his feelings of grandeur being replaced with clear confusion. "Bring it up on the monitor."

Soon enough a tactical display of the present battle was displayed at the head of the bridge. And just as the operator had said, the enemy knightmare frames were pulling back at all fronts, although there were still a few that remained in battle to cover for their retreat. Needless to say, the Britannian knightmares had chose that moment to advance.

If he had not seen it for himself, Upson would never have believed it; such an act was the tactical equivalent of a death wish. Thus, he let out a sharp burst of laughter which unsettled many of the crew members present. "Just what is that enemy commander thinking? Does he really want his ship to be destroyed that badly? If that's the case, then I see no reason not to oblige him."

"It could be a trap, General." the _Longshanks_' captain, who was standing next to the General's chair, considered.

"If it is, it's a poorly thought out one. Just what benefit could there be in withdrawing their main defensive force?" Upson stated, entirely convinced.

Before the captain could reply to that, even though he knew it would be futile to convince his superior otherwise, the communications operator looked up. "General, we're receiving a message from the _Avalon_. It's Prince Schneizel."

Upson's smile could not have grown any wider. "What are you waiting for? Put him on." A minute later, the image of the blonde haired, blue eyed Second Prince was instilled into the bridge monitor. "Your Highness."

"General Upson, I trust you are holding the enemy effectively at bay?" Schneizel inquired, though he seemed to already know Upson's answer.

"All according to your plan, milord." Upson nodded. "All that is needed now is the death blow."

"I entirely agree. Once my taskforce comes into range, we may begin the final phase of the operation." Schneizel said.

Upson once more nodded, his smile taking on an air of vindictiveness; the final phase was for all the ships forming the entrapment to converge and concentrate their firepower onto the battleship itself. While the previous barrages had been solely meant to keep the ship from advancing to the west, but this one would be the true _coup de grace_. And after the deed was done, the recorded footage would be broadcast across the world to show what fate awaited those who dared oppose the Empire. "Just give the word sire. We will be ready."

* * *

The enemy was coming at them in droves now, forgoing any form of evasion to take advantage of the Black Knights' retreat. Three of the Britannian machines turned to face down a wounded _Akatsuki_ with the same mindset, moving in from three different vectors, unleashing a torrent of bullets and grenades from their rifles. Before any of them could hit however, Charmelle quickly dove her _Isshiki_ in front of its comrade and raised its radiant wave shield, deflecting the incoming fire. Following that, the Britannian renegade pushed her knightmare's air glide wing thrusters to full burn and zoomed in on the nearest _Sutherland_, vaporizing it with a surger shot, then following suit with the other two.

The pilot she just saved was quick enough to signal his thanks, which Charmelle responded to by waving her knightmare's hand, before turning away. At the moment she was too fixated on the mission at hand to think of anything else, especially when she had heard who was directing the battle now. That realization caused her to smile, even in the midst of combat. "Zero… back from the dead. Who would have known?"

Only then did the attack on Pendragon fully make sense to her; before Charmelle had been in total opposition of it, as it would have inevitably placed them in this very situation, trapped over the pacific with enemies in all directions, and at worst exposing Okinawa to Britannia's attention. But now that she knew the true objective behind the raid as well as the result of it, she suddenly became filled with certain hope, just like everyone else in her unit. True, Charmelle did not know what Zero's plan was, but remembering all of his tactics and "miracles" from Japan, and how even the great Witch of Britannia was unable to match his cunning, she knew better than to question whatever he had in mind. Thus, she remained focused on the mission.

With Alfred flying beside her as her wingmate, Charmelle swung her knightmare around and proceeded to dive into the fold with the rest of her unit. Like a pack of wolves, the crimson knights of Zero Squadron flew into the melee, led from the front by the now one armed _Guren Nishiki_, which in spite of its handicap managed to destroy two _Sutherlands_ from the onset with a surger blast, and the _Zangetsu_, which was currently fighting side by side with the legendary knightmare. Brandishing her surger at one side and her fork knife at the other, Charmelle targeted a _Sutherland_ of her own and shot at it, slicing off its right arm, which was holding a bazooka, in one pass. Fully aware of her attack plan, Alfred followed suit and cut off the opposite arm as it was about to grab for the unit's machine gun, before Charmelle arched around and finished off the _Sutherland_ by making another running slash from behind, through the cockpit block all the way to the main body. Its remains exploded not long after that.

Following this, a fair number of enemy knightmares soon became gathered against the pair, forcing the two former Britannian knights to evade in a weaving pattern. Charmelle took the opportunity to pump one of her radiant wave rockets into the belly of another _Sutherland_, while Alfred picked off a _Gloucester_ of his own.

"Think we got enough targets, Rei Three?" Alfred shouted while bringing his knife up to slash a _Sutherland_ down the middle, its cockpit just barely managing to eject.

"Only if one more shows up, Two." Charmelle replied with a smirk. Suddenly a grenade zoomed past her knightmare, barely missing it by centimeters. Turning, Charmelle took sight of a single _Gloucester_ taking aim with its machine gun, no longer having the element of surprise. Just as it was about to open fire, Charmelle gunned her thrusters and shot up over the knightmare. While in midair, she twisted her _Guren_ around so that she actually _landed_ on top of the _Gloucester_'s cockpit block, the Japanese knightmare's legs closed together to maintain balance. A split second later, she thrust her surger onto the block, activated it and sent pulses of radiation into the hulk, before backflipping away to let it explode.

_Heh, that's the first time I used that maneuver in years._ Charmelle thought as she searched for another target. Though the Hunchback Strike was far from a standard tactic in any military, it was one of many techniques Charmelle had developed and honed during her brief servitude to the Empire. Of course, it was a little more difficult to pull off in an air-to-air battle, but nothing that the former Britannian pilot couldn't handle.

Looking back, Charmelle could see that Alfred was getting cornered by five enemy knightmares, and although he was holding his own against them, the former Glaston Knight was still having great difficulties as he was likely out of grenades, to say nothing of his radiant wave energy.

"Alfred, look out!" Charmelle called out in warning. With a deft motion, Alfred had his _Guren_ reach out with either arm and deflect a simultaneous flanking attack from a _Gloucester_ and _Sutherland_ from either side, lances brandished. Grasping one blade by a hand manipulator and holding the other in place with a hastily established radiant wave shield, Alfred then went into a single spin, forcing both knightmares close enough so as to be cut across the middle. Breaking away as they their drives detonated, Alfred flung himself into the midst of three more _Sutherlands_, who tried to defend themselves with their tonfas, but each was unable to resist Alfred's attacks. In turn, Charmelle provided support by keeping other attackers at a distance with her own radiant wave surger and assorted projectiles.

With that squadron destroyed, Alfred turned toward another group of knightmares and shot after them. Charmelle trailed behind him, firing her remaining grenade into another _Sutherland_ as she passed, but she didn't bother to watch it explode. As well, she brought both her surger and knife up and made more running strikes and slashes against the much slower fifth generation frames as she moved by them at blinding speed; most of her attacks managed to strike against their torsos, but a few were off enough to "just" sever or blast away arms and legs.

As she beheaded a _Gloucester_ with a well placed penetration, Charmelle couldn't help but begin to wonder. _Just how much longer do we have to keep this up, before Zero puts his plan into action?_

"Charmelle, to your left!" Alfred hollered over the radio.

Barely having time to shift, Charmelle turned to see that a _Sutherland_ had somehow snuck in close enough to her to attack her up close, machine gun angled to strike at point blank. Instinctively Charmelle raised her right arm to angle the surger back at it, but she knew that the _Sutherland_ had already beaten her to the draw and would get the first shot off, and since it wasn't directly in front of her she couldn't use the radiant wave shield. In those few milliseconds, the Britannian wondered if her time had come…

But before anything could happen, she watched as a slash harken came flying out of nowhere and smashed into the _Sutherland_'s arms, knocking away the machine gun before it could squeeze out a single shot. Then a moment later, the harken retracted and the _Zangetsu_ came barging onto the scene, slashing its seidotou across the _Sutherland_'s waist. "You should never leave your side open like that Rei Three." Tohdoh exclaimed as he performed the attack. "Otherwise you may as well ask the enemy to strike there."

Charmelle let out a breath of air at that. "That wasn't my best moment I admit, but thanks for the save Shogun One."

Tohdoh nodded in reply to his subordinate, just as another message was broadcast. "_Ikaruga_ to Shogun One and Zero Squadron, unit recovery is almost complete. You're all that's left. Return now!"

At that, Kallen brought the _Guren Nishiki_ back up to view and followed upon the message with all the finality she could muster. "You heard her Zero Squadron. Disengage and RTB!"

With their orders clear, the remainder of the Black Knights' knightmare forces all abandoned their attacks and bolted for the _Ikaruga_. Though they had taken out a fair amount of Britannians, as was expected of them, the ones that had survived the onslaught quickly regained the initiative and shot toward the black battleship as well…

* * *

**Black Knights air battleship **_**Ikaruga**_**  
Pacific Ocean**  
**March 28, 2025 a.t.b.**

Though Lelouch considered himself a man that was well used to wearing masks, both literal and metaphorical, the one he was wearing now was truly a new experience for him. As his original supply of masks had been destroyed with Japan, the Black Knights had been forced to create this one from scratch, and in the process Rakshata had added her own touches to it.

Instead of it being a simple mask with a radio receiver/transmitter at the bottom, this new model had been equipped with a miniature Druid System much like what the _Gaiwain_ used, allowing it to scan Lelouch's surroundings and provide a steady stream of data to the miniature HUD that replaced the central visor. If Lelouch had to guess, on its own the mask likely had a maximum range of two to three hundred meters. However, an additional feature had been added to this compact Druid System: when within range, it could synchronize with any unit or system that was also equipped with a Druid System, such as the _Ikaruga_ itself, thus allowing the mask to receive data collected from the ship's various sensor systems and inner workings and project it all to Lelouch straight forward, though obviously compacted.

And that was exactly how Lelouch had been watching the battle now, through his mask. From his position he watched as the red arrows symbolizing Zero Squadron and the _Zangetsu_ drew back to the _Ikaruga_ while the yellow arrows of the Britannians charged forward, no longer having to worry about the Black Knights' knightmares, and swarm all over the battleship. A display at the side of the HUD showed that the _Ikaruga_'s radiant wave shield generators were near redlining in heat build up and came closer to shutting down, little by little, from the firepower of both the Britannian knightmares and the airships.

Then a sudden beeping sound alerted Lelouch to shift his attention to the right; a new air fleet had appeared from the east and was closing in on the _Ikaruga_'s position. At the head of which was the _Avalon_ herself.

"Schneizel." Lelouch muttered out loud, frowning. "This must be your move to check."

With the emergence of the new air fleet, the other fleets had begun to converge as well, moving against the _Ikaruga_ from the four principal vectors like buzzards drawing toward a carcass. With their shield generators overheating and the enemy's firepower gaining greater concentration, Lelouch mentally estimated that they could withstand the final attack for two minutes and seventeen seconds before the shields collapsed and the hull became ripped apart with hyper-velocity shells and missile fire, along with whatever the knightmares chose to attack with. The increased rumblings around him only made that scenario more likely.

"B-1 to Zero, all squadrons have been withdrawn." Ohgi's voice spoke out, with his image appearing at the corner of the HUD. Although Lelouch could clearly see Ohgi's face, which was beginning to display some form of panic, he knew that Ohgi couldn't see his from the other end.

"Right, all tasks at hand are clear." Lelouch, in spite of his inward doubts, drew a smirk at the knowledge that his plan was coming together perfectly.

For one final time, he looked toward the image that represented the _Avalon_, mentally picturing his elder brother sitting upon the command throne, eyes forward and exterior calm as he directed the fleets to converge, fully expecting the checkmate to be his. Lelouch's smirk only grew at that. _It was a clever trap brother, but you took too long in sealing it and delivering the killing stroke. Knowing you however, that mistake will not be repeated._

After that thought, he gave the final command. "Raikous, fire!"

At Zero's command, the _Ikaruga_ opened its VLS once more and fired the six specialized cluster missiles into the sky. At first the knightmares tried to shoot them down, believing that the missiles were heading toward one of the airships or perhaps even the incoming _Avalon_, but they were not fast enough to do this, and the missiles soon escaped their visual range. After reaching a certain altitude and distance, each one of the missiles arched in its flight path and flew at downward vector, rocketing lower and lower in altitude until each one finally and simultaneously shot into the water like six diving seagulls.

But even though they were no longer airborne the missiles continued to shoot further and further down through the ocean's dark depths, the water failing to hinder their sleek frames and rocket propulsion. The Britannian attack subs, which had remained in the area just in case the enemy battleship chose to dive back into the water again, noticed them on their active sonars but were unable to do anything to stop their descent, as they were too small and moving too fast for their torpedoes or their onboard _Portman II_ marine knightmares to intercept. And just like in the sky above, the missiles escaped from their detection, descending deeper into the darkness like Dante Alighieri in Hell.

Only when their respective guidance systems had calculated that they had reached precisely one thousand three hundred meters below the ocean surface did they detonate. As none of the missiles had deployed their onboard warheads from their central bodies, each detonation was far more concentrated in force than normal, and all far more potent than even the largest of conventional bombs. As such, the resulting explosions were enough to cause a chain reaction with the surrounding water.

Powerful shockwaves soon spawned from the resulting explosions, creating a rising wall of force that as a side effect also superheated the water to many times that of its boiling point. Augmented by the power behind the Raikou detonations and the increasingly evaporating water, the shockwaves rose through the ocean depths far faster than what should have been possible, eventually merging into one great wave of power, generating only destruction to those caught in its wake. Such was the fate of the adjacent submarines; unable to protect themselves, the wave powered into them and drew them into the rush. For a time they held in the surge, though their crews had been killed immediately from the rapid shift in pressure and temperature; not long after their hulls buckled from the same elements, and the once proud vessels of the Imperial Navy were turned into little more than metal shavings as the wave finally reached the ocean's surface.

In a grand spectacle the pressure wave smashed through the water into a great burst that reached thousands of meters in height. No longer being held down by the great weight of the Pacific, the wave now took the form of a rising surge of steam that stretched for entire kilometers, covering the area in a great white blanket that ran all the way to the four surrounding Britannian air fleets at the perimeter. Because of their strengthened hulls and the wave's loss of power amidst its ascension, the air ships managed to withstand most of the force, though it took a great amount of effort from their respective helmsmen to maintain altitude and stability. This was evidenced when a few of the ships in the different air fleets ended up colliding with each other violently, as did the remaining knightmares, whose pilots were just as blinded.

And so, even after the pressure wave had diminished, the great cloud of steam still hung in the area, obscuring all visual means of detection and, thanks to the erratic energy flow of sakuradite, all conventional sensors as well…

* * *

**Britannian **_**Logres**_**-class air battleship **_**Longshanks**_**  
Pacific Ocean**  
**March 28, 2025 a.t.b.**

The concussion had reached _Longshanks_ in a matter of milliseconds, knocking just about everyone on the bridge to the floor and rattling every millimeter of the great battleship. Upson was one of them, much to his humiliation, as he felt as though an invisible hand had thrown him from his chair so that he could sprawl across the deck along with others of his crew.

Groaning, the General pulled himself up from the deck, just managing to balance himself against the ever shifting floor, before looking toward the bridge's front viewport. Though the shockwave was long past, the steam had remained, emphasized by the sheer cloud that encompassed the windows and kept Upson from seeing the outside.

"Damage report!" the _Longshanks_' captain barked to the crew, who were also struggling to get up.

"Checking all systems now." one of the operators replied.

"The _Albany_ and the _Toronto_ report heavy damage from collision, as do the _Devonshire_ and the _Kent_!" the radio operator announced.

"What about the enemy…?" Upson demanded as he practically crawled back to his chair. "Sensors!"

"…I'm not detecting anything General. The steam must be blinding our sensors as well!" the sensor operator replied while trying to reestablish radar contact. "Wait… it looks like it's clearing."

At that, Upson looked back toward the viewport and fixed his eyes on it, watching as the cloud disappeared bit by bit. Yes, it had been an impressive gambit on the part of the renegades, but it was only a temporary suspension of their due fate; once the steam cleared away, Upson would be quick to reorder all guns to fire, as would all the other ships. That said, Upson was willing to ride out this small hindrance and keep his excitement in check, as it would not be for too much longer.

However, when the steam finally cleared from the Britannian air battleship's viewport and the horizon, Upson's face didn't brighten with the vindictive smile that one would have expected from an executioner about to finish off the condemned. Instead, his eyes bulged until they looked like they were about to pop out of his head, and his mouth hung open as if he were about to speak but was unable to verbalize any words. The rest of the crew looked the same way, and for several moments the bridge was eclipsed in silence until someone finally spoke up. "That's impossible…"

Instead of a black battleship on the horizon, there was quite literally nothing but an open space of dawn. For all intents and purposes, the enemy vessel had disappeared in thin air, with only Britannian knightmares hovering around where it used to be.

A certain fury began to emerge upon Upson's face. "Where are they!?"

The sensor operator shook his head in confusion. "Radar's still clean sir. I'm not picking up anything but our own ships and knightmares!"

"They must have dived back underwater before the steam cleared." the captain offered to Upson.

"Contact any submarines within the area and direct them to intercept immediately!" Upson barked once more.

The radio operator however, after a few moments of relaying the General's orders over the radio, could only shake his head. "I'm not getting any response from our subs, General; no contact whatsoever. I think they've all been sunk…!"

At that, Upson slammed his hands against the armrests of his chair. "You mean to tell me that the enemy managed to not only escape, but also wipe out our submarines as well!?" he roared. "_That they have managed to elude us just as we had them for the kill!?_"

Nobody dared make a response, almost as if they believed they would spontaneously combust should they utter one word. Upson could only growl inwardly at the fools that were before him for their fear, but he knew that they weren't to blame. As much as he didn't want to think about it, the enemy had managed to elude certain death at the very last moment with a single tactic that functioned as both a massive offensive strike, which wiped away all means of attacking them, and concealment for their immediate withdrawal. It was a totally unexpected and spontaneous tactic, one that Upson had never considered possible before, and thus would never have anticipated.

And so Upson slowly sunk into his chair, knowing that he would gain no glory or advancement upon this day. Britannia did not reward those who had failed her, even if it had not been out of personal error, and the General knew he would be lucky to keep his command, let alone his current rank. Instead of going before the Emperor to receive his Victoria Cross or elevation in noble status, Upson would only be summoned to explain to His Majesty what exactly had gone wrong in this battle, something he found himself dreading even if it was fairly unlikely to happen.

_All of that… for this humiliation!_ Upson snarled once more at the thought, feeling as though he wanted to rip something apart, whether be it an object or a human being, for this failure. When he looked back up, he once more stared through the open viewport toward the horizon, only this time instead of looking toward an enemy battleship, he gazed toward the cruiser _Avalon_ as she and her taskforce began to come within his view. At that, Upson could only wonder what Prince Schneizel was thinking now.

* * *

**Britannian air cruiser **_**Avalon**_  
**Pacific Ocean**  
**March 28, 2025 a.t.b.**

For his part, Schneizel showed nothing and said nothing in clear contrast to the incredulous expressions of Kanon and many others of the _Avalon_'s present crew; the only movement he made was bringing his hands to his chin in seeming thought at the whole situation, clearly trying to discern his next move. Even though Talia began shouting orders to scan the area with active sensors, Schneizel knew it was pointless to try and search for them here; while it was obvious that the vessel had submerged again, the underwater shockwave had clearly destroyed all of the friendly attack subs and active sonar in the area, thus leaving no capability of tracking it from this position. On the outside, Schneizel showed little concern over this, whereas on the inside he felt somewhat frustrated; the fox had proven to be a much more difficult adversary than even he had expected.

At the very least Schneizel had managed to come up with an effective means of detecting them. By lining the ocean surface with active sonar buoys, the Britannians could triangulate the enemy warship's position by which buoys had been "blacked out" by the Black Knights' Gefjun Disturber, which the prince had surmised was their method toward sneaking into Britannia without notice. In that regard, it was fairly ironic how the device gave renegades a distinct advantage over the Britannians in disabling electronics and allowing them to move in stealth, and yet just as they could move unseen through active sensors, they could also be tracked by the number of inactive sensors and narrowed down to a certain area. From there, it was simply a matter of logic and likelihood.

Unfortunately it didn't seem the trick would work a second time. Although there was still a chance the enemy commanders had still not comprehended Schneizel's strategy, there were still many large gaps in the net that the enemy battleship could slip through, as even Britannia lacked the means and resources to cover the entirety of the Pacific Ocean with patrols and surveillance. Thus it would only be by luck that Schneizel would lay eyes on the black battleship again, as well as do battle with the Black Knights before they struck once more.

But even with that rationalization, a smile managed to form upon the Second Prince's face, as the enemy's final tactic had given him a revelation that he had not considered before. Though it was not much of a consolation prize, Schneizel now knew the exact reason why the Black Knights had struck Pendragon, and that it was much more than vengeance for Area 11's demise. And with that element of knowledge came one other insurmountable fact: that it was all far from over.

"Your Highness?" Kanon looked toward Schneizel in wonder, as did several others on the bridge. It was clear from their expressions that they were all wondering the same thing. _Why is he smiling like that?_

Rather than respond to Kanon's inquiry, Schneizel merely gave the following command. "Send to all ships: withdraw immediately."

"Milord?" Talia exclaimed as she looked back at the prince in confusion.

"As loath as I am to admit it, the enemy has won this round." Schneizel explained as he returned Talia's gaze, though his explanation was meant for everyone present. "We are no longer capable of detecting them or intercepting them, and as such there is no longer any reason for our continued presence here. Colonel Earhart, please bring the _Avalon_ about and take us back to the mainland."

Though still not entirely sure, the _Avalon_'s captain could only nod her head at that and carry out her orders as her lord had commanded. Kanon on the other hand, leaned down so that only Schneizel could hear him. "How will you explain this to His Majesty?"

Schneizel simply continued to smile. "Let me worry about that. I'm sure I can come up with something to still his wrath for the time being."

* * *

TO BE CONTINUED…


	10. Chapter 10: Home Far Away

"_The strength of a nation derives from the integrity of the home."_  
-William Shakespeare

**Chapter 10: Home Far Away**

**Black Knights air battleship **_**Ikaruga**_  
**Pacific Ocean**  
**March 28, 2025 a.t.b.**

Though damaged in almost every sense of the word, the _Ikaruga_ managed to pass through the water like an oversized fish, its black hull camouflaging it perfectly against the dark depths. There was little doubt that the ship would be able to make it back to its homeport in her current condition, assuming that she would not be caught again, but it was obvious that once she got to Okinawa that the Black Battleship would not be able to fly for a while. The damage control crews and mechanics had all but confirmed this to the bridge officers in their last report, especially when they had to abandon the maintenance on the knightmare frames in order to keep the ship from sinking from her wounds, which were aplenty across the decks and inner workings. For all points and purposes, the mighty _Ikaruga_ had been greatly wounded from the trap the Britannians had made for her, but even so, she was still far from dead and would only live to fight again, just like the Black Knights that crewed her.

Deep in perhaps the most secure portion of the ship that was his quarters, which if he had read the _Ikaruga_'s blueprints correctly held more armor and structural integrity to it than even the bridge, Lelouch let out a deep and heavy sigh as he looked over the black mask he had been forced to wear once more. Rather than throwing it toward some corner of the room and leaving it there as he had before, he had carefully removed it and placed it on the center table next to the ever present chessboard, almost as if it were a fragile vase or chalice. He did not know why he had done this, treating the mask he had earlier detested with such reverence, but now he couldn't bring himself to throw it away again. And for what seemed like hours he just sat there studying its surface, while his mind reeled with the confliction he felt over daring to take it up again and assume the mantle he had thought abandoned. The irony that he had resurrected Zero only hours after he had told C.C. he would never take up the mask again was not lost on him either, and he knew somewhere else on the ship the immortal woman was holding great amusement over it.

And then just like it had before, the electronic chime sounded from the main door, signaling him that someone was requesting an entrance. Without looking up, and already knowing who it was going to be, Lelouch closed his eyes and went along with it. "Who's there?" he said, trying to sound as though he had not been expecting anyone.

"It's Ohgi. You have a minute Zero?" Ohgi replied from the other side of the door, who in turn sounded like he was trying to remain professional, but could not quite keep the almost overwhelming positivity from his voice.

Lelouch felt as though he wanted to scowl at that, but he decided it wasn't worth getting annoyed over. Sighing again, he reached over to the remote control on the center table and tapped a single key, which automatically dialed the code to the main door. For obvious reasons he had changed it since the exchange with C.C., and although he knew it would keep anyone else from coming in unannounced, he had little doubt that his so-called partner-in-crime would somehow figure out the new combination.

The door soon opened and the Vice-Commander of the Black Knights entered, looking quite pleased over how things had turned out. In all honesty, Lelouch couldn't blame him for it; managing to live through what should have been certain death was always worthy of celebration. "What is it?" Lelouch asked, once more as if he hadn't already figured what was going to come next.

"I just wanted to thank you for coming to our aid and saving us." Ohgi explained with a smile on his face, one that Lelouch felt should have made him ill to look at but for whatever reason didn't. "We really wouldn't have survived without you Zero."

"Lelouch." Lelouch corrected staunchly, his eyes deeply narrowing. "Do not misunderstand my intentions Ohgi. The only reason I did what I did was to save my own life, not yours or anyone else's. Otherwise I would have been entirely indifferent to this ship's destruction."

Although the much younger man sounded quite legitimate in his declaration, Ohgi wasn't so convinced, especially when he recalled the _timing_ of his one-time leader's actions. But still, he decided to go along with it. "Even so, I thank you anyway, on behalf of myself and the Black Knights." Ohgi replied, before formally bowing in a traditional display of gratitude.

At that, Lelouch felt himself rise from his seat and pace over to the other side of the room, his hands clasped behind his back, while Ohgi remained where he stood. After a small pause, Lelouch spoke again. "How much time before we reach Okinawa?"

"If we keep to our current speed while playing it safe, we'll arrive by tomorrow evening. Despite the damage, our Gefjun Disturber is still working, so I doubt we'll run into any Britannian patrols." Ohgi reported.

Lelouch nodded at the information. "After you leave here, raise the _Ikaruga_ to launching depth, and then have C.C. head out in the _Gawain_. She's going to act as a forward scout along our current course."

"Scout? For what?" Ohgi asked. "The Britannians couldn't have set up another ambush so quickly, even if Schneizel is leading them."

Lelouch allowed himself to laugh at that. "Haven't you realized yet how my brother was able to find us?" when Ohgi shook his head, Lelouch continued to explain. "Just from your surprise attack on Pendragon, Schneizel had figured out this ship was utilizing active stealth to slip in and out of Britannia. So in order to counter that, he assessed this ship's most likely direction and deployed active sonar buoys across it to isolate the blackout, then assemble his forces accordingly."

"_Kisama…_" Ohgi seethed at that explanation. Now everything about the last battle made sense. "I should have known someone like the _Shiroouji_ would be able to take our main advantage and use it against us."

"Don't feel so bad about it Ohgi. Schneizel has a talent for doing just that." Lelouch replied. He also understood that feeling of frustration, but from when his brother reversed their chess matches like that. "C.C.'s role is to ensure that there are no other sonar buoy fields on our current course. The _Gawain_ still has its own Gefjun Disturber from years ago, so she'll be able to avoid any patrols while on her search."

Ohgi admitted the plan made sense, but he wasn't sure about the choice of pilot. "Wouldn't it be better to have Tohdoh or one of the other pilots to go out? Miss C.C. doesn't exactly follow orders given by 'mere mortals.'"

"Besides myself, C.C. and Kallen are the only ones that have experience piloting the _Gawain_." Lelouch explained. "Obviously I can't go out there, and Kallen, while I'm sure would do so if ordered, is too exhausted from the last battle and the fighting beforehand. Therefore, C.C. is the best candidate; tell her as such, and I'm sure she'll comply."

"If you say so." Ohgi shrugged, agreeing on Lelouch's sentiments about Kallen. "Will that be all Zero?"

Lelouch rolled his eyes, knowing that Ohgi had said that on purpose. "Yes, that will be all. But once more, do not misunderstand me Ohgi; this is all to make sure I survive until the _Ikaruga_ reaches port. After that, I don't intend to ever put that mask on again."

Ohgi repressed a sigh before speaking on that. "With respect Lelouch, I believe it's too late for that. Before, we could have written off the Pendragon operation as just a strike against Britannia for the loss of Japan, but as you have revealed yourself, everyone knows the truth now. Even if I were to order the _Ikaruga_'s entire crew to remain silent about it, word will still get out that Zero is back from the dead and has led the Black Knights in battle once again. With that in mind, your slipping away would be impossible."

The former Britannian Prince had just finished turning around so that he could sit back down on the bench when the Black Knight General gave that explanation. As such, Ohgi did not see Lelouch's face twist in reactive surprise, and then into a quiet fury of sorts. Like it or not, the proverbial cat was out of the bag now, and any chance Lelouch had at disappearing into Okinawa's population as another civilian had slimmed immensely. Yes, it had been just one thing when everyone believed Zero was dead and that the Pendragon raid was just to strike a blow against Britannia for the Devastation, but now that he had revealed his presence to one and all, they would only expect him to remain and to lead them. Like it or not, Zero was back, and it would not be long before news of that spread to the rest of the world.

Then another thought came to him: if he could get all the present Black Knights assembled before him, he could use his Geass to make them forget he had intervened in that battle. It would have been simple enough, as aside from Kallen he had not used Geass before on any of his troops, and so they would all be susceptible to his power's influence. And although he doubted, for a reason he could not describe, that Kallen would stand in his way, Lelouch was more than capable of finding a way to incapacitate her long enough to carry out the action. Thus he could make Zero die once again, and if possible even escape from the _Ikaruga_ to disappear in another part of the world, allowing himself to regain a new life as Lelouch Lamperouge in some remote corner, free from the war and destruction that he had partially caused himself. He already had several places in mind that he could make such a life and leave both the memories of Zero and Lelouch vi Britannia behind.

But as tempting as that was to do, Lelouch only felt disgust at the prospect. Not only was it a cowardly action to perform, but it also went against his principles and character, two things that had not been tarnished in spite of his past actions. Yes, no matter what sickening twist of fate had occurred in his lifetime, Lelouch always moved forward, never compromising nor retracting his actions. He had done so in the aftermath of the SAZ massacre, rallying the Black Knights to battle in spite of his feelings of pain and loss at Euphie's death and his own responsibility for it, and he would do so again here, as he had already chosen to bear the mask even with his misgivings. Besides, Lelouch did not have the will in himself to use his Geass so selfishly; the last time he had forced someone to forget, it had been for that person's well being, not his. But if he were to use it like that this time around, it would only be for his benefit, which he found to be truly repulsive.

Feeling even more tired now than he had moments ago, Lelouch continued. "Even so, I would like some more time to consider things."

"I understand. In the meantime, I'll be sure your orders are carried out." Ohgi said with some sympathy, before saluting and turning away, exiting through the main door.

Once more Lelouch was alone in the room, and once more, he was unsure of what he would do from now on. He still did not want to return to the mask just as he still feared the potential damage he could do with it, but he was also unwilling to escape the fate he chose earlier. And so in a strange way, Lelouch felt, even with his memory restored he had not been truly liberated, but instead had just exchanged the prison that was his false life for the one that was his previous life. Again the irony was not lost on him.

Feeling the exhaustion of everything that had transpired, Lelouch decided for the moment he would settle on making himself comfortable in his little dungeon until he mustered up the will and energy to decide upon where he would go from there. Thus, he turned and headed straight for his apparent bedroom to gain some much needed rest.

* * *

As the mechanics were all preoccupied with repairing the rest of the ship, the hangar bay was all but deserted at this time and the knightmares that inhabited it still displayed their damage from the previous battle. Thus Kallen chose this time to stand in the middle of it and stare up at her beloved _Guren_, which was still missing its left arm and part of its left side, while thinking about all that had just happened and more. She had not yet been to sickbay to see how much more "damaged" she had become herself, and in truth she didn't feel like going; as long as she didn't have to go back out and fight again, then her wounds would heal in time. Besides, she doubted she could find the peace and solace she needed now in the _Ikaruga_'s sickbay.

In fact, she doubted she could find peace and solace anywhere on the ship at this point. It had not been too long since they had escaped the Britannian trap and the announcement sounded that they were all clear, but that had been enough time for almost every member of the _Ikaruga_'s crew to set up a party in the mess hall, celebrating both their triumphant escape and the return of their long lost leader. Kallen didn't blame them for that, on either account; had she been up to it, she would likely have been down there as well, celebrating with her squadron in the big event. But as it stood, she wasn't in the mood for it, and her mind was too restless for her to socialize with anyone.

_"Because… Eight years ago, you were the one I chose to be my knight. My Knight of Zero."_

The memory played over and over in Kallen's mind without pause, much like an actual audio recording. It was a simple enough confession, one that was not out of character and had no hint or reason toward deceit in its tone. For all intents and purposes, Lelouch had been speaking from the heart upon that confession, something that Kallen should have been more than happy about. Yet all the same, the Black Knight ace felt divided over it; while still feeling exhilarated that she now knew Lelouch's regard toward her, the memories of eight years ago to just yesterday were still fresh in her mind, along with the pain that had been generated because of those events. And within those memories laid two things: first Kallen's knowledge that Lelouch did not make the choice to don the mask again because he saw it as right and just, and second her own personal doubt, as she still did not know whether she had become his knight out of her own choice or out of his Geass' influence.

And to add to the mess, there was the possibility that it could have all been one big fat lie; remembering how Lelouch's Geass worked, the "Knight of Zero" response could have acted as a mental trigger to do whatever he had originally commanded her to do, and she would never have seen it. While she wanted to give Lelouch the benefit of the doubt, she still remembered how good of a liar he was, and that she would have been a fool to not have second thoughts and suspicions toward him.

Overall she should have been happy, but deep down she only felt conflicted over what should have been.

"For someone that just survived certain death, could you have a worse expression?" a voice said from the side.

Snapped out of her thoughts, Kallen turned to see Captain Charmelle Finlay stroll up to her with an air more fitting for one who had indeed survived to fight another day. "What are you doing here anyway, Major? The party's down below."

"Eh, I don't really feel like celebrating right now, Charmelle." Kallen admitted.

"Which is quite the opposite of what I would expect of you." Charmelle said in turn. "I would have thought Zero's right hand woman of all people would be happier that her old leader is back."

Kallen froze at that title. "'Zero's right hand woman'?"

"Well, you are." Charmelle replied with a shrug. "Back in Japan, very few of us were willing to engage Zero directly because we all knew you would be there to protect him. We all knew that wherever Zero was, the Red Dragon would be there to devour any who dared, just like he or she did to Orange."

An arched eyebrow was Kallen's response. "I'm not sure I like that kind of reputation."

"You should." Charmelle said. "That kind of notoriety is one of the highest honors for a knight who is charged with his or her lord's protection."

_"…My Knight of Zero." _Kallen remembered once more and cringed as a result. "I'm no knight." she replied, looking away. "And Zero's not my lord. At least…I don't know."

Though their eyes didn't meet, Charmelle could easily see the turmoil in her superior and her own expression turned more serious as a result. "So you still feel guilt over abandoning him during the Black Rebellion."

In truth, that was only a part of the equation, but there was no way for Charmelle to know about the other issues Kallen had over Zero's apparent return, nor was she going to tell her subordinate about them. Yes, she trusted Charmelle enough that she had confided in her sometime after the Black Rebellion her choice to abandon Zero, but Kallen wasn't sure how the other ace would react to her present dilemmas. So she decided to roll with it, but still explain her problem in minimal doses. "Partly. I just find a sick irony in it: eight years ago I abandoned Zero for a misunderstanding, only for him to come to my aid now, even though I didn't deserve it. In fact, I feel like I pushed him into it."

"Pushed him into it? How?" Charmelle replied, now looking slightly perplexed.

Kallen looked at her subordinate with a careful eye. "What I'm about to tell you next stays between us. You even mutter a syllable about this to anyone else, and I'll do to you what I did to Jeremiah Gottwald at Narita." when Charmelle nodded, Kallen continued. "Though we rescued him, Zero hasn't fully recovered from his time in captivity. I can't let you in on many details, but up to this point he had been hesitant on reclaiming his leadership. But then, when I was falling… It was his voice that saved me and brought me back to the fight."

"So you believe because you were about to die, you indirectly forced him to take command to save you and everyone else." Charmelle summarized.

"…Yes." Kallen admitted hesitantly. "Don't misunderstand me, I want Zero to become our leader again, but I want it to be his choice, not because I or anyone else forced his hand. Yet that's exactly what happened."

Charmelle considered that for a moment. "With all due respect Major, that's a rather perturbed way of looking at the situation."

"I'm serious Charmelle." Kallen growled in annoyance.

"Calm down, I didn't mean that to offend you." Charmelle said, and then continued before Kallen could reply. "But at the same time, you're blaming yourself over something that's not your fault."

"What do you mean?" Kallen inquired.

"While I may not be privy to all the details, I understand the moment Zero broadcasted his orders: nobody forced him to act, he himself _chose_ to do so in order to save everyone." Charmelle explained further. "Yes, your fall may have incited him, but it was still his decision to come out of whatever confliction he was in to save your life. Thus, the blame does not fall on you."

"But it still doesn't change the fact I didn't deserve to be saved by him." Kallen replied, still stoic as ever. "Not when I left him in that damned cave with Suzaku years ago."

"You may have, but he still lives on, and from the sound of things, he still considers you his right hand despite everything." Charmelle explained. "The question is, if he does choose to lead the Black Knights again, would you answer his call when the time came?"

Kallen wanted to answer that, but her inner doubts toward whether her loyalties toward the masked prince were natural or artificial stopped her from giving a straight answer. Deep down, she knew she wanted to believe, almost desperately, that it had been her own choice to follow him as well, but at the same time there was no way of knowing whether she was under the influence of the Power of Absolute Obedience or not. Even her own Geass could not give her the answer she sought there.

But then she remembered the return flight from Pendragon in the _Gawain_, and the pledge she gave to the dormant Lelouch that although she did not know the truth, she would still follow him all the same. That was enough for her to answer her subordinate and friend's question. "I would."

Charmelle smiled pleasantly at that answer. "And that, Kallen Kouzuki, is what makes you as much a knight to your lord as those who literally hold the title." She then gestured toward the end of the hangar. "Now, instead of moping around in the hangar like some grumpy mechanic, I suggest you join the rest of us at the party."

"But I…!" Kallen started to protest, but her subordinate was quick to grip her arm, hard, and all but drag her toward the elevator.

"Sorry Major, but it's bad enough that you're a redhead ace who pilots an equally red machine." Charmelle replied sweetly while refusing to let go of Kallen's arm. "You don't need to be a _tsundere_ on top of it."

* * *

**Imperial Palace**  
**Pendragon, Holy Britannian Empire  
March 28, 2025 a.t.b.**

"…And that is the conclusion of my report." the kneeling image of Schneizel spoke from the vidscreen across to his father and Emperor, his voice in a humble monotone as opposed to its normal pleasantness.

For his part, Charles zi Britannia took this in appearing interested and dissatisfied with the results, but on the inside he had already come to conclude this outcome, and so was not at all surprised by his second eldest son's report of failure. But then, very few things surprised the Emperor anymore; as monarch of the most powerful empire ever conceived by man, he had grown used to "setbacks" occurring without consent, and in some cases had even come to expect them to happen; not that this was one of them. It was how Charles handled those setbacks that made the difference, which was why he was still the Emperor.

"…How very disappointing my son." Charles spoke, his hard and commanding baritone easily overruling Schneizel's lighter and softer tenor. "I would have expected more from the man that is leading my soldiers in Western Europe, especially against one battleship and little more than a few dozen knightmare frames. And the losses on our side are not easily replaced."

Despite the fierce nature of the attack, Schneizel didn't so much as shudder under the weight of the Emperor's critical jeer. Not even the Second Prince's voice seemed to waver from the sheer vocal power being wrought against its user. "Rest assured Your Majesty, these brigands will be brought to justice. In fact, I have already estimated the location of their base, such that we can launch a direct counterattack…"

"…That will not be necessary." Charles purposely interrupted. "I require you here, specifically to reorganize our mainland defense forces, should the Europeans attempt to take advantage of the situation."

This time, Schneizel did respond, lifting his head up so that his eyes could look upon his father's in question. "With respect Your Majesty, it is very unlikely that the Europeans are in a position to launch a direct invasion of the Imperial homeland, as they are currently focused on repelling _our_ invasion of _their_ territories."

"Your observation is noted, but I will not take that chance and have Britannia suffer such humiliation from our primary enemies." Charles replied, his domineering voice once more overriding his son's. "Heed your orders Schneizel and return, as your Emperor commands."

At that point, Schneizel knew better then to speak up again, and so bowed his head once more. "Yes, Your Majesty."

With their business concluded, the screen turned black, leaving the Emperor alone behind his massive oak desk in the famous Royal Office of the Imperial Palace, which served as his personal office and sanctuary. At least, that was the impression one would have gotten, had the sound of boot heels impacting the tile floor not broken the momentary silence with their closing proximity. The same could be said from the light and youthful yet mysteriously chiding laughter that sung out from the shadows of the office, which in spite of the fact it was morning was darkened, thanks to the thunderstorm that had recently descended upon Pendragon. "You are beginning to show your age Charles. Go easier on Schneizel; he had no way of knowing what he was up against."

As that voice spoke, Anya Alstreim emerged from the darkness and into the Emperor's sanctum, dressed elegantly in her full Knight of the Round uniform and magenta cloak. However, Charles knew better; while the body was indeed Anya's, from the pink hair to her relatively petite physical structure, the consciousness that was controlling it held much greater confidence and audaciousness than the Knight of Six, and it showed upon "her" face along with the illuminated red rings around "her" eyes. "If he had only known the true intent of the Pendragon strike, he would have been far more suitably prepared to deal with the Black Knights. But that would have gone against your plan, wouldn't it?"

"Yes, it would have." Charles regarded the figure before him. "Though I do admit it is coming together faster than I had anticipated."

"True, who would have known our beloved son would recover so quickly?" the phantom replied almost playfully. "I suppose the sight of his loyal followers dying was too much for him to bear, along with C.C.'s forceful banter."

"Possibly." Charles stated, though he wondered if there were more reasons than that. He then tapped a remote control and watched as the screen activated to display multiple news broadcasts from across the world, all reporting on the Pendragon attack with great rigor. Charles smiled at them all. "Yes, Lelouch and his Black Knights will serve their collective role well, becoming the central act for the world's attention while the Order continues preparations from behind the curtain. I could not have wished for a greater outcome, Marianne."

Smiling in turn with her "borrowed" mouth, Empress Marianne vi Britannia offered an amused expression to her husband. "Just as long as he doesn't overplay his part Charles. As much as I love our son, he does have a tendency of doing that."

"That he does, but I would not expect any less from the son of Marianne the Flash." Charles replied.

"Oh sure, that's definitely a trait he got from me and not the man who's waging a world war just to keep an audience occupied." Marianne stated with mock displeasure. "Along with his poor taste in theatrics I imagine."

Charles just closed his eyes before verbally responding. "And if he were to 'overplay his part' as you said, would you be willing to stop him?"

At that, Marianne turned slightly more serious, but her ever present flamboyance remained. "Of course. With everything that is at stake, I cannot afford to let my maternal feelings get in the way of the greater good. But you don't think it will come down to that, do you?"

"…No I do not." Charles replied once more. "But should the worst happen, we must take steps toward restraining him before he becomes uncontrollable."

His gaze narrowed, and in doing so, the twin Geass sigils once more appeared in his eyes. "For the sake of humanity, we must continue forward without hindrance."

In response, Marianne closed "her" own eyes for a moment, and when she opened them once more, they too were alight with the winged sigil. "And for the sake of the world that is to come, my love."

* * *

**Black Knights air battleship **_**Ikaruga**_  
**Pacific Ocean**  
**March 29th, 2025 a.t.b.**

"What the hell-! You can't move your bishop like that!" shouted First Lieutenant Tayuya Saidoharu (Rei Nine), a young fierce looking woman with notably red dyed hair and a demonic gaze. In her rage, she slammed her palm on the table, almost causing the Shogi board to shift. "It's not even promoted! Are you trying to cheat or is your head full of fat too!"

"Who are you calling fat, _ama_!" her opponent First Lieutenant Jirobu Shiranui (Rei Eight), a somewhat oversized man with a black mohawk, shot back. "Bishops are supposed to move straight in all directions! You're the one who's being an idiot!"

"That's the rook, _buta_! And you call me _ama_ again, I swear I'll filet your fat hide and serve it to the Britannians!" Tayuya growled in turn.

"_Ama_, _ama_, _ama_, _ama_, _ama_!" Jirobu called out with his loudest voice, causing the fury in Tayuya's face to quadruple in intensity.

This act soon caused both combatants to stand at their opposite ends of the table in the _Ikaruga_'s crew lounge, seemingly preparing to do more than glare each other down. The other people in the room however, seemed to take it in stride.

"Will you two quiet down?" First Lieutenant Kidomaru Namiashi (Rei Seven) complained, looking up from his now one of a kind WonderSwan DS with an annoyed glance. "You're ruining my own game."

"Uh… shouldn't someone try to stop this before it gets out of hand?" Second Lieutenant Rikichi Shirogane (Rei Four) proclaimed, from the other side of the couch where Kidomaru was sitting.

"Just let them go at it." First Lieutenant Liliana Vergamon (Rei Five), a Britannian woman with long golden blonde hair and green eyes, spoke and smiled vehemently, the latter which caused those around her to shiver. "Sometimes it's just best to sit back and watch as two humans butcher each other until there's nothing left, right Marika?"

Close by and leaning against the wall, First Lieutenant Marika Soresi (Rei Six), characterized by her short hazel colored hair and ever leering blue eyes, truly looked as though she didn't want to take part in any of the activities that were occurring. "I wouldn't know." she replied flatly, clearly annoyed at how her comrade was trying to drag her into the conversation.

"Meh, whatever. Like this doesn't happen all the time with those two." spoke Second Lieutenant Sakon Kobayashi (Rei Eleven), a Japanese distinguished by his white makeup, black lipstick and eyeliner, grey hair dye, and leering expression.

"_Kami_ only knows why they haven't killed each other by now." added Second Lieutenant Ukon Kobayashi (Rei Twelve), Sakon's twin brother who held the same facial wear, in turn contributing to their shared nickname, the "Goth Twins".

"Besides…" First Lieutenant Jugo Natsume (Rei Ten), a tall, lean Japanese man with spiky orange hair and red tinted eyes spoke up to direct the attention away. "The Major will hopefully be along in a minute, so it's not like we have to get up and…" And just then the sound of an opening door interrupted his line.

The next thing everyone heard was the sound of a gunshot, followed by the appearance of a bullet hole appearing in the back wall, right between Jirobu and Tayuya's faces. Immediately everyone looked to the entry way to see Kallen standing there with her smoking sidearm and a glare that no one else in the room could match, as well as Captain Alfred G. Darlton (Rei Two) and Captain Charmelle Finlay (Rei Three) standing on either side of her.

"I trust we can settle things without my having to ground, demote, or _shoot_ those involved?" Kallen said straight out in an even-yet-threatening tone. It was obvious that she was not in a good mood.

"…She started it Major!" Jirobu announced.

"Because of your dumb move, you _kuso_…!" Tayuya was about to go on again.

"Enough." Kallen said simply, once more silencing the argument. "If I hear another word, you'll be cleaning the armor of your knightmares with toothbrushes."

That seemed to shut the two up, though both combatants were still glaring daggers at each other, and so the room soon became enveloped in a deep silence as Kallen and her two other Britannian subordinates entered. Alfred suppressed the urge to laugh at this; years ago when he had heard rumors of Zero forming an elite guard unit that was charged with his protection and following his orders directly, while taking only the most dangerous and vital missions possible, he had believed that such a unit would be comprised of only the best the Black Knights had to offer. While this was partly true, as all the members of the 0 Knightmare Squadron "Rei", past and present were professional killers in and out of knightmare frames, they were also among the most undisciplined and individualistic members of any military organization Alfred had ever seen.

Zero Squadron's background was, for lack of a better description, "truly unique". Rather than build his personal unit out of staunch, recruitment poster grade soldiers like most Britannian Generals liked to, the masked man instead chose his troops based on their potential talent, namely survival skills and ability to kill other humans. After selecting the initial group besides Kallen, he proceeded to task then-Captain Kouzuki to training these wanton killers into professional soldiers and a working team, in spite of her protests and personal lack of faith in her own capabilities. Though the training was brutal, as the Captain had taken tips from then-Lieutenant Colonel Tohdoh for the procedures, in the end the great killing force known as Zero Squadron became a reality, debuting just in time to fight in the Black Rebellion. During that battle, over fourteen percent of the Britannian forces lost were credited to Zero Squadron alone, though the unit had lost some of its own as well.

While the modern incarnation of Zero Squadron was far more professional than its earliest form thanks in part to the reformation of the Black Knights and its ranks coming to include former Britannian soldiers, it was still the most individualistic unit in the entire organization. For one thing, in place of normal headwear, squadron members wore specialized black berets, much like the special forces of Britannia and Europe. As well, their standard unit was the _Guren_, although the _Isshikis_ (Mk-Is) they each piloted were something of a step back from Major Kouzuki's legendary _Nishiki_ (Mk-II). The standard for Zero Squadron was a grim reaper or _shinigami_, cloaked and hooded, wearing a Zero-like mask over its slightly obscured face and wielding a black scythe, placed over a red, gold and black outlined shield, with the kanji for "Zero Naitomea Sentai" (0 Knightmare Squadron) emblazoned around the shield's outer edges, the callsign "Rei" placed at the top over a black scroll line, and the unit's motto "Aku Zoku San" (Swift Death to Evil) inscribed at the bottom.

Reaching the other side of the room, Kallen casually reholstered her pistol before walking over to a chair and sitting down, visibly cringing in pain while doing so, before relaxing at the end. Both Alfred and Charmelle, who were likely the "sanest" of the bunch, followed their CO's example and found places to relax themselves.

Once more deciding to break the ice, Jugo spoke up again. "So Major, you and General Ohgi visited recently Zero, right? How is he doing?"

Almost as if somebody had dropped a coin on the ground, everyone in the room looked up to listen to Kallen's response. Among them however, Rikichi visibly scowled as their commander responded to the question.

"He's still recovering physically. The Britannians did a fair amount of torture to his body and the last battle took a toll on him." Kallen answered. It was a lie of course, especially as she had yet to meet Lelouch face-to-face since the jubilee, but she was not about to tell them the more discouraging truth. "But his life is no longer in any danger, and Dr. Tezuka believes he'll be fit to lead us once we reach Okinawa."

"Nice, we can finally kill Brits in style again!" Tayuya announced with a smile that was matched by the other Japanese members of the squadron, before turning toward the Britannian members of the squadron. "No offense."

"None taken." Alfred and Charmelle replied at the same time, while Liliana let out a 'heh' and Marika remained silent.

"It would be a great change of pace to actually dominate Britannia again. Pendragon was a great restart and all, but I wouldn't mind going further in this game than that." Kidomaru said while flipping upside down on the couch so that he could play his game overhead.

"Agreed." Sakon and Ukon both answered simultaneously.

"I wouldn't mind it either; I'm sick of hiding out in that damned island when I should be killing my former countrymen." Liliana remarked as well. "_Britannia delenda_ _est_, and we're the ones to make it happen."

Alfred, knowing that phrase's historical context as the Roman clarion call for a second invasion of Britannia just after Eowyn declared its birth as an empire, looked at Liliana with a disbelieving look. "That sounds funny coming from a former member of the Purist Faction."

Despite the accusing nature of those words, Liliana seemed to take it all in stride. "All in the past; now I'm only interested in taking revenge against Britannia for leaving me to die just like the rest of you. Besides, isn't it just as 'funny' with you, a Glaston Knight who turned his sword against the Empire he once served and joined the ranks of the Numbers, all in complete contrast to the legacy of his late father and brothers?"

Alfred sneered at her in response, and Charmelle also seemed to deeply narrow her gaze at the blonde woman. It was obvious just how much they regarded their 'comrade', and not just from her latest statement.

"Doesn't make a difference to me…" Rikichi spoke up in what could be likened to a snarl, with visible disgust upon his expression. "You're all Britannian scum in the end, and should not be trusted. And that goes for that masked bastard too…"

"That will be enough, Rikichi." Kallen staunchly ordered with distaste, just as the atmosphere in the room became like that of the Antarctic.

"No, it's alright Major." Alfred replied, and then turned his own gaze back toward the upstart Japanese boy. "While we 'Britannian scum' don't care what you may think about us, you shouldn't be saying such things about the man who just saved your life."

"So what if he did? We still don't need him." Rikichi continued to growl. He then looked back toward the Japanese in the room. "Doesn't anyone else think so?"

Kidomaru regarded his younger squadmate with an evil leer at that question, as the latter had brought it up more than once. "No, actually, none of us think that."

"You should have been around _before_ Zero showed up, because then you would have seen how badly our side constantly fucked up." Tayuya hissed in turn with a matching leer. "The JLF had been around since the war ended, yet that dumbshit Katase never did any damage, whereas Zero started out by killing a Brit prince…"

"Yeah, well, that was then and this is now!" Rikichi shot back, not bothering to hide his very apparent dislike. "The Black Knights would be better off without that masked _gaijin_ leading us…!"

"You have no room to talk runt…" Jirobu sneered as well. "Not when you were an 'honorary _gaijin_' yourself."

Rikichi then turned his glare toward Jirobu, ignoring the growing hostility that was filling the room. "Fuck you! I joined the Black Knights because my parents had to bend down and kiss the dirt the Britannians walked on for that title!" his eyes began to twitch as he remembered those days. "And that's what Zero expects us to do for him! Well, I refuse that! And as soon as he's gone, only then can…!"

"Ah…" Charmelle spoke up with a narrowed gaze at Rikichi, and then gestured around the room. "You may want to shut up while you still have a tongue, kid."

For the first time since he started his rant, Rikichi deigned to look around the rest of the room, where he was immediately met by a collection of intense glares. It was then that his mind reminded him of the second commonality the members of Zero Squadron all had, the one aside from their individual talents at killing: every member of the squadron held a deep, almost fanatical loyalty to Zero. Whether it was because of his philosophy and vision or just because he was so good at defeating the Empire in battle, they all chose to follow the masked man with a similar unquestioning resolve that they followed the Major with. Even the four present ex-Imperials, who were also the squadron's newest members, seemed to have some admiration toward the masked man and his revolutionary ways, which was why they were allowed to join the unit while willingly fighting alongside the people they once helped oppress. Rikichi berated himself for forgetting that loyalty, as well as whom he was speaking to.

However, in all of those glares, it was only Kallen's hardened and disapproving gaze that made Rikichi feel like he was about to melt into a puddle. And yet at the same time, his hate for Zero only burned stronger at that, as he wondered how such a perfect woman, an absolute representation of the Japanese race, could have followed such a black hearted man. Thus with a return glare to the other members of the squadron, he got up and made his way out of the room without any more words exchanged.

The tension died down once he left, though Alfred still wondered about something. "Not to go against your choice of recruits Major, but why did you take that kid on in the first place?"

"Alfie-_chan_'s got a point. The whelp could become a hassle in the future." Sakon spoke up, earning a distinct leer from Alfred for purposely using that hated name with that particular honorific to describe him.

"On the other hand, it is fun putting him in his place." Liliana looked up in the air in thought, considering.

For her part Kallen sighed, as she was also disappointed at her subordinate's attitude. "He's good at what he does and he follows orders, which is all that matters. And I'll appreciate you guys not trying to provoke him."

"Eh, screw him. As long as he earns his keep, he can be as much of an imbecile as he wants." Tayuya replied with a shrug as she and Jirobu sat back down to continue their game. "Now, are you going to follow the rules this time, or will I have to force feed you that bishop?"

"Fuck you, Tayuya!" Jirobu replied, moving his bishop diagonally this time.

Not long after, the intercom system sounded with Minami's voice. "Attention, this is the captain. We are now on final approach toward Okinawa. All hands remain on standby."

* * *

Seemingly unnoticeable, as it was set at the eastern limit of the East China Sea and just southwest of the Japanese isles, the island of Okinawa retained a rather unique history to itself. Originally little more than a set of primitive fishing colonies that were frequently visited by the early Chinese, who noted the inhabitance for their hospitality, this land would grow into three individual principalities in 1377 a.t.b.: Hokuzan (Northern Mountain), Chuzan (Central Mountain) and Nanzan (Southern Mountain). Lasting for over a century, the Sanzan (Three Mountain) Period as it became known was a time of constant warfare and bloodshed between the three tribes, until the Chuzan ruler Sho Hashi conquered his neighbors to the north and south by 1484 a.t.b., unifying them into the Ryukyu Kingdom. From that point forward, Okinawa thrived in maritime trade between the eastern and southeastern Asian states, eventually becoming the major economic center of the region. But it would all come to an end in 1664 a.t.b., when the Shimazu Clan, rulers of the Japan's Satsuma Domain, conquered the island and forced it into their servitude. Since then, the Japanese had never left, and Okinawa became an official prefecture of Japan in the aftermath of the much later Boshin War, much to the dismay of its inhabitance.

Ironically, Okinawa would later regain its freedom and independence at the same time Japan would lose its own. When the Britannians invaded and conquered the Japanese isles in 2010 a.t.b., they were more than happy to leave the little island free of their occupation, as it lacked the sakuradite reserves of the main islands and was neither as strategically relevant. With some reluctance, the Independent State of Okinawa emerged, becoming a middle man of sorts between Britannia and the Chinese Federation, from which representatives of the two superpowers would barter, trade and negotiate with each other from the diplomatic table. As such, Okinawa once again became an economic centerpoint from its part in these dealings, and as it was separated by some distance from Area 11, it also remained untouched during the Japanese Insurrection. Even when the Chinese invaded Kyushu seven years later, they chose to leave Okinawa alone, though there was no clear reason for this. And so as Japan became more and more torn from constant warfare, Okinawa only prospered.

And then came the Devastation, and everything changed. Though Okinawa was spared from the destruction as it had not been connected to the sakuradite reserves used to obliterate the main islands in Operation Nero, the inhabitance were still permanently affected by the event. Any racial hatred that had been held for the Japanese disappeared instantly along with the millions that perished on the main islands, and when the destruction had ceased, the Okinawans scrambled any vessel or craft available to send rescue. Because of this effort, over ten thousand Japanese and Britannian survivors had been found and brought to Okinawa, merging with the island's population of one million and thirty seven thousand, now considered the last of the Japanese race. Since that time, Okinawa remained in isolation as the Britannians and Europeans continued to overlook it, even when the Chinese Federation was annexed into the Empire and the world became embroiled with another Great World War. Very few even bothered to remember the little island in the East China Sea, and that was exactly what its population, as well as the Black Knights, wanted.

"Yomi control, this is _Ikaruga_ on approach, requesting clearance to harbor one." Minase spoke over the radio. In the distance, the island of Okinawa was continually growing in the bridge viewport, and the entire bridge crew watched earnestly as their ship made its final approach.

"_Ikaruga_, your request is confirmed, standby." the female controller on the other end replied. "Activating guidance beacon now."

"Acknowledged, control." Minase responded. After she made that reply, she allowed herself to smile, knowing that in the next few minutes she would truly be home.

At the back of the bridge, Minami, Ohgi, and Tohdoh also watched with the same longing hearts as those of their subordinates, all three momentarily allowing themselves to feel anxious at the prospect of returning home. They all knew that every mission they took, there was always a chance that they would not be able to return to their homes or loved ones in the end, and so always reveled in the privilege. Meanwhile, C.C. who was standing with the first three looked as impassive as ever, but seemed more relax at the notion that she too would also be allowed rest from the war and chaos.

A moment later, as the _Ikaruga_ slowly drifted lower in altitude toward what appeared to be a mountain, a single metal door on its side began to open. At that point, the helm switched to autopilot as the automatic guidance beacon fed the _Ikaruga_'s navigation system new data, slowly guiding the ship toward the open maw. "_Ikaruga_, you are clear for docking in harbor one, bay six. Enjoy the ride and welcome home."

"_Ikaruga_ confirms. Good to be home." Minase responded once more with finality, before allowing herself to relax as her work was done.

Slowly but gracefully, the _Ikaruga_ descended until it was properly aligned with the opening in the mountainside. Continuing on at a stable speed, the air battleship eventually passed through the maw and emerged into the great cavern within, where the bridge crew was able to behold the scope of the entire base. Seemingly taking the entirety of the mountain, the underground harbor was filled with a line of airships at dock, all of which were painted in black colors and displaying the silver winged sword sigil somewhere on their hulls. Further back, the hulls of naval warships could be seen in drydock, as they were being reconstructed and refitted to serve as airships in the Black Knights' fleet.

Tohdoh smiled fondly as the bridge passed by the hull of a _Mogami_-class air destroyer, docked and waiting for its call for departure to come. In order to keep the remains of the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force from falling into enemy hands, Kyoto House, the now defunct underground council that administered continued Japanese resistance against Britannia, had secretly moved the surviving warships to Okinawa and had placed them within underground harbors across the island, though there had been some political fallout over the matter as the Okinawans wanted to remain in Britannia's good graces. As even the larger resistance groups such as the Japan Liberation Front lacked any ability to crew them, these once proud vessels remained in mothballs for seven whole years, and were only remembered when Zero had requested a mobile base of operations for the Black Knights, which Kyoto House had provided through the attack submarine _Ryujin_.

When the Black Knights began reformation in the aftermath of the Devastation, these harbors were discovered once more, and so the organization now had the basic components for a full-fledged war fleet; all that was needed was to refit and rearm these ships for modern combat. As such, Rakshata's secret arms manufacturing group, the aptly named Chawla Design Bureau, had taken over their reconstruction, transforming them one after another from outdated naval warships to advanced multi-environment warships that were more than capable of taking on the Britannians' various air, land and naval forces in battle.

Now eight years later, over eighty percent of the Black Knights warships were in full completion and their crews nearly trained and ready to man them. Though it would be sometime before they would see action, Tohdoh imagined to himself that the mere sight of these ships in formation would be enough to send the Britannians running.

Finally, as the _Ikaruga_ drew closer to its selected bay, the automotive systems began reducing power to the air glide wings that kept her afloat ever so slowly. The crew felt the shift in power as well as the resulting descent, but no one became alarmed as it was expected. Slowly the mighty battleship lowered itself down, setting neatly into its landing space while landing gears and dock moorings extended to keep the ship balanced on the ground. A slight rock later, and the _Ikaruga_ completed its docking.

Once the helmsman gave the nod, Minami engaged the ship's PA system again. "All hands, this is the captain. We have now completed docking. As such, I would like to congratulate each and everyone of you on the success of this ship's first mission, and her equally successful return." His eyes narrowed as he spoke the next phrase. _"Remember Japan."_

"Nice speech. Sounds like you've been practicing." C.C. whispered offhandedly.

"Actually I have." Minami replied back in equal voice level. "Didn't have anything better to do after we escaped from Schneizel."

"Heh." C.C. smiled a little at that admission.

Ohgi also smiled a little, feeling relieved that, after the last few dark days, he had truly returned to his new home. "Just another day at the office…" he muttered to himself, just as the crew began to disembark.

* * *

**Ohgi Residence**  
**Naha, Independent State of Okinawa  
****March 29th, 2025 a.t.b.**

Viletta Ohgi liked to think that she made a good mother and housewife. She was a talented cook, capable of creating both Japanese and Britannian dishes when she felt the occasion called for it, as well as a good organizer thanks to being a former soldier. She kept the family's apartment clean and tidy, got along well with the neighbors in spite of her Britannian roots and past, always looked out for her two children who meant everything to her, and always made sure that food and other necessities were well stocked. Sure, she admitted she still had a temper to her, especially toward anything that went against her son and daughter, but overall she fit in well with her new occupation. And to top it off, she liked being a good mother and housewife.

But in spite of where she was now, Viletta could not help but feel how twisted fate was to have made her what she was today, when eight years ago she had been an entirely different person. Something that she did well not to forget, even when living the relatively peaceful life she was now, far away from the frontlines.

"Mommy! Ichigo won't let me play with Mothra!" the voice of a toddler girl cried out, snapping Viletta out of her thoughts.

Looking away from the soup she had been preparing for dinner, she shot her eyes toward where her three year old son and daughter were playing with various plush toy _daikaiju_, and then sighed. "Ichigo, you have to share with your sister. It's not fair to keep all the monsters to yourself."

"But mommy, Godzilla and Rodan can't fight Ghidora without Mothra!" Ichigo Ohgi complained in just as high of a tone as his twin sister. "And Rukia has Anguirus!"

"But I want Mothra!" Rukia Ohgi cried out again.

Sighing a second time, Viletta moved away from the kitchen to where the children were playing, kneeling down so that she could have a better look at them. Though they had different genders, they were true and perfect twins, holding their father's hair and eyes as well as her dark skin and facial structure. Her face softened more as she looked back into their eyes, which in spite of the times had not seen any bloodshed or death. "Ichigo, you remember how strong King Ghidora was in the movie, right?"

When the boy nodded his head, Viletta continued. "Don't you think you need your sister's help in fighting him?"

"I got Godzilla, Mothra and Rodan! They can fight Ghidora by themselves, mommy!" Ichigo replied.

"That's true, but you only have two hands, and therefore can only control two monsters at once." Viletta chuckled slightly when Ichigo looked down and found that he, indeed, did only have two hands. "But your sister only has one monster, so she can control another one herself. Wouldn't that make the fight easier?"

Ichigo considered that, and then after a moment, he nodded and gave Mothra over to his sister. "Don't get in my way!"

"Same to you, Ichi!" Rukia shot back defiantly, just as they began to setup the individual monsters like game pieces across the floor, the four "hero" monsters positioned around the three headed golden King Ghidora plushy.

The sound of the front door unlocking and opening suddenly stopped all activity, as both Viletta and the twins turned to see who had just entered their home. "I'm sorry, am I interrupting?" Kaname Ohgi said jokingly as he made his way inside.

"DADDY!" the twins called out with joy. Suddenly forgetting the death match they were about to have, they both jumped up and ran toward Ohgi with nothing happiness radiating from their faces. In turn, Ohgi dropped down to his knees so that he could embrace his two children, all three of them laughing happily at their reunion, while Viletta stood by and watched with a smile on her own face.

"We missed you…" Rukia spoke into her father's chest with a feeling of relief, as if Ohgi's absence had caused a great strain on both she and her brother.

"I missed all of you as well." Ohgi said while tightening his embrace, almost afraid to let go of either of them. Though it had barely been over a month since he last saw his children, it was still too long as far as Ohgi was concerned, and the brushes with death that were entailed in that time only made him more appreciative that he lived to see his children again. "Have you been good while I was gone!"

"Yep!" the twins replied in total synchronization, which was something of a habit with them.

"Alright you two." Viletta entered in at last. "Mommy has to have a talk with daddy, so go play in the other room until I call for dinner."

Despite the command, the twins both looked up at their father for the final okay. "Better do what your mother says. Don't worry; I'll still be here, Ichigo, Rukia."

That was enough to satisfy the two, and with the energy that can only be produced by toddlers, the twins jumped up and ran toward the other room, grabbing their toy monsters in one swoop as they did. Viletta shook her head; she had told them time and again not to run in the apartment, but this time she couldn't blame them. She then looked up to see her husband embrace her as well.

"Hey, Britannian." Ohgi said sheepishly, a tinge of red appearing on his cheeks, visibly relieved that he, at long last, saw his wife again.

"Hey, Eleven." Viletta replied with a warm smile, visibly relieved that her husband was, at long last, home.

And with that, the two embraced and leaned into a deep kiss, one that was hot and passionate, yet still retaining innocence. For some time, the two remained like that, both husband and wife reveling at the prospect of the reunion, before the need for air forced them to break apart. When he stared back into his wife's eyes, Ohgi gave a lop-sided grin. "Miss me?"

"More than you realize, General." Viletta replied smartly, but with a tinge of worry in her tone, which was enough to make Ohgi shutter inside. He knew what was going to come next. "Talk to me while I fix supper. We're having _butajiru_."

"Nice." Ohgi replied with some anticipation to that, as it was one of his favorites. And so they both moved into the kitchen and continued preparations for the evening meal.

Though they were very much in love now, it had been a rocky start for both of the Ohgis. Like many other things, it had all begun eight years ago; back then he had been second-in-command for the just started the Black Knights, while she had been Major Viletta Nu of the Britannian Imperial Army, a soldier and knightmare pilot who had aims toward attaining nobility and status. Not only that, but she had been a member of the Purist Faction under Brigadier General Jeremiah Gottwald, 19th Margrave of Florida, holding true hatred for the Elevens and all who were not born Britannian. However, by yet another twist of fate she had been shot and wounded shortly after the final battle with the Japanese Liberation Front, and left to die upon the peer where Ohgi had found her. From that point he had intended to keep her as his prisoner, but somewhere along the way they had both fallen in love. That is, until she had regained her memories and, initially believing that their relationship was just a product of Zero's Geass, shot Ohgi in an attempt to break things off between them during the Black Rebellion.

And then just as with everything else, the Devastation changed the entire situation. Though Viletta had a head start on getting out of Japan and back to the Imperial mainland, even she couldn't escape the destruction, but by some fortune had managed to find cover and survive it. But while she had been physically unscathed by some miracle, emotionally it had turned her entire world inside out, as despite her previous hatred for the Elevens, she had not wished for that kind of destruction and was shocked beyond all measure to learn Britannia was willing to carry out such large scale genocide. So putting aside her prejudices along with many others, she assisted in the efforts to track down and rescue survivors.

To both her relief and her shame, Ohgi had been one of the survivors along with the main group of the Black Knights. Shortly after they had all been transported to safety in Okinawa, she had visited him again, and in great remorse offered him the same gun she had used on him before, knowing that while her life amounted to nothing compared to the millions that had been lost, a small amount of justice would be served for what her people had done. Needless to say, it was to her surprise that Ohgi turned down the offer of her life, admitting that despite everything they had done to each other, he still loved her and believed her to truly be the kind, gentle person she had been as "Chigusa", the name he had given her when she could not remember her own. And then to Viletta's even greater surprise, Ohgi proposed to her on the spot, apparently having planned on doing it for sometime as he even had a ring. Viletta, going against any remaining doubts on her part, accepted, and three months later they were married.

Only sometime later, when the Black Knights began their reformation, did Viletta learn that she was pregnant with twins. At first she was inwardly horrified at the prospect, as she did not believe herself to have any potential as a mother, though at the same time she did not want an abortion, as there had been enough lives lost from that time. Ohgi, however, believed just the opposite, telling her more than once that she would make the perfect mother, and soon enough she gave birth to Ichigo and Rukia, whom her husband, much to her annoyance at the time, had named after the two main protagonists of a _manga_ he used to read. While raising children meant that Viletta would not be able to join the Black Knights like she planned, the ex-soldier still took to her new duty without hesitation, and so even within the darkness of the current era, life continued on with the Ohgi family and many others.

Sitting down, Ohgi waited an uncomfortable minute before he spoke again. "I take it you heard about Pendragon?"

From his position he couldn't see his wife's face as she began cutting up vegetables, but he could feel her shift to the same professional seriousness she held in her younger days. "It's been on every channel for the last two days, and half the island can't stop talking about it. Just what the hell possessed you to pull that stunt Kaname?"

The Black Knight visibly gulped. "You know why we had to do it. And in my opinion it was worth the risk."

"One man is hardly worth the risk of storming the Imperial Capital." Viletta replied, turning her head back to cast an eye on her husband. "When I was in the SAS, my unit often drilled in mock invasions of Pendragon; as such I know how strong that city's defenses are. How you managed to survive was nothing short of a miracle in itself."

"Don't get me wrong Viletta, I know we got lucky." Ohgi tried to explain. "I know the only reason we managed to pull it off was because they didn't know we were coming; if they did, we would never have gotten out of that valley alive. But at the same time, that one man is our only chance at fighting back."

Viletta sighed, knowing that Ohgi was speaking the truth. "I understand Kaname, it's just… when I think about Zero, I still see that boy in a costume instead of the messiah everyone says he is." she looked up in brief remembrance. "It feels just like yesterday I found him at that dock unmasked and vulnerable, all because he made a tactical miscalculation. If it had not been for that girl, I would have brought him in and everything would have ended there."

"But if you did that…" Ohgi interrupted. "We never would have met."

"I know, and I'm grateful that things turned out the way they did." Viletta looked back down again. "But my point is, that's not the kind of person I feel safe entrusting our safety and our future to, not when he could have been brought down so easily."

Ohgi laughed a little at that, seeing the irony when remembering the last battle. "In a way, I still see him as a kid in a costume too, but even that doesn't matter when you see the miracles he performs."

As if to make more of his point, Ohgi got up from his seat. "Viletta, you know we can't hide here forever. We came to this place knowing that we were on borrowed time, that one day the Britannians would return to finish killing us all. I know there are some that think the Black Knights were reformed for vengeance, but the true reason why we came back was to ensure a future for the people on this island."

Hesitantly, he embraced his wife from behind and rested his head upon her right shoulder. "Ichigo and Rukia deserve that future, as do their children and their children's children. That's why I chose to continue fighting, and why I choose to believe."

Relaxing toward the warmth of her spouse, Viletta slowly put down the knife she had been using to cut up the vegetables and held onto Ohgi's arms. "…I hope you know what you're doing Kaname, putting all of our hopes and dreams into that boy."

Ohgi nodded, inhaling the scent of Viletta's short silvery hair, which she wore in a bob cut these days. "So do I."

* * *

**Karatsu Apartments**  
**Naha, Independent State of Okinawa  
****March 29th, 2025 a.t.b.**

Kallen grimaced as she and C.C. made their way up the seemingly endless flight of stairs to their apartment on the third floor of the complex. Each step caused a slight pain to her; though individually she could handle them, but as their numbers increased she wondered if her legs would give out on her before she reached their floor. Sure enough, it happened, with Kallen nearly falling onto her face mid-step. "_Kisama_…" she growled.

"Must you push yourself so hard?" C.C. looked back from the three steps she was ahead by with a peculiar glance. "It would be very inconvenient if you were to meet your end falling down a staircase, especially before you're able to fulfill your contract with me."

"Just shut up and help me." Kallen answered impatiently, being in no mood for C.C.'s badgering. She was in injured enough that she could do without the witch adding insult.

Sighing, the witch came down and lifted her "partner" up, placing one arm over her shoulder and then guiding her up the stairs. C.C. was mindful to keep Kallen balanced while at the same time taking each step slowly in order to avoid another fall. "I swear, you and Lelouch are both useless without me."

"Just remember who's providing your room and board." Kallen countered instantly.

"Oh? I recall you insisting that I be your roommate, even though I could have gotten my own place near that Pizza Hut." C.C. shot back.

"And let you run rampant all over the island? Sorry. Somebody's got to keep a close eye on you, and my Geass is perfect for that task." Kallen said, flashing her left eye to emphasize her point. In that instance, she was inwardly disappointed that while she could "see" C.C. exterior and the surrounding area, she still could not "see" within the witch as her mysterious powers kept Geass from affecting her directly. "I may not see inside of you, but I see you all the same."

C.C. laughed softly at that. "I don't need the Power of Absolute Awareness to see that you're lying Kallen. Just tell the truth: you're a closet sufferer of autophobia, which was first brought on by the death of your brother, and so you wanted to have a friend close by to keep from being left alone."

And once again, Kallen found no way of countering the witch on her words, as what she had spoken was no less than the truth. She sneered and looked away as a result. "Damn you."

The witch in turn sighed almost whimsically in response. "If only I got a coin for every time someone says that to me."

After a few more steps, the two finally made it to the top. No longer needing the support, Kallen retracted her arm and started to walk on her own again, at the same time nodding a 'thank you' to her apparent partner in crime. C.C. nodded in return and the two continued on their way.

As they reached their apartment, the two were quick to notice a woman coming up to the one next door with a bag of groceries. When the duo approached, Kallen was quick to greet the woman. "Aoi!"

At the mentioning of her name, Aoi Hoshitaka looked up and saw both the redheaded ace and the green haired witch close the distance, causing her to smile. "Kallen! Miss C.C.! What a pleasant surprise, I didn't expect you to be back so soon!"

"But you expected us to be back. That's good." Kallen teased, as she came forward. "How've things been since we left?"

"Uneventful, but all things considered, I'm thankful for that, as well as for your return." Aoi replied with delight. As their neighbor and occasional housekeeper, she knew that Kallen and C.C. were both Black Knights and that every time they left Okinawa there was always a chance they would not come back, and so was always glad to see them return home.

Though she was only a little older than Kallen, there was little question that Aoi was a refined woman, one who held herself with high class and elegance. Unlike most women her age, she held a deterrence toward revealing clothing aside from bathing suits, and so chose to wear a black mini-dress that didn't show off a lot of her skin outside her arms, but still did a great job highlighting her figure, which was complimented with black heeled shoes and a sapphire pendent across her neck. As well, while she had the customary black hair of a Japanese woman, which was cut short in a bowl shape, her ocean blue eyes were truly wondrous to behold as they seemed to sparkle even from the tiniest glimpse of light. All that combined with her soft demeanor and pleasantness, and one could consider Aoi Hoshitaka the personification of regal beauty, empathy and compassion, a human being capable of understanding when others could not or would not. To say the least, many envied those parts of her, Kallen included.

"We appreciate that Aoi, really." Kallen replied, patting the other woman on the shoulder, before moving toward her front door. "Why don't you come on in and catch us up on everything?"

"Maybe later. Right now I have to put all this away." Aoi gestured toward the grocery bag she was holding.

When she shifted her left hand, C.C. caught a glimpse of a silver band with a tripartite of diamonds at its center, wrapped around her left ring finger. The witch raised an eyebrow and gave a peculiar expression at that. "You still wear that ring?"

Aoi looked up at her. "Is that so strange?"

"Not at all. But in the eight years I've known you, I've always seen you with that engagement ring, but I've never met your fiance or seen you with him." C.C. factually replied.

Aoi grinned, in a manner that was suspiciously close to the way C.C. usually did. "And what makes you think my fiancé is a man?"

While C.C. only frowned, Kallen visibly wasn't sure how she should have responded toward her neighbor's question. Seeing that, Aoi chuckled. "Just kidding. I assure you I'm perfectly straight."

At that, Aoi shifted the bag over to her right hand so that she could see the ring herself. Her expression turned to one of solemnity. "I was given this ring a long time ago, from someone very dear to me. And though I probably shouldn't wear it any more, after everything that's happened, I just can't let go of the past…"

Kallen's expression turned to one of sympathy at that, as she could not find a way to respond no matter what kind of reply she came up with. And despite herself, even C.C. couldn't help but feel a churning motion in her stomach, as she knew exactly how Aoi felt. As old as she was, she knew how valuable memories of the past were, and how they could not simply be abandoned, even if one truly wanted to leave it all behind.

And then Aoi moved her hand away and looked up again. "But that should not be of any concern. You two came a long way, so I won't keep you." She said while producing a key and unlocking her door. Before she entered however, she turned again and nodded one more time to her two neighbors. "_Okaeri_ _nasai_."

"_Domo arigato_. It's good to be back." Kallen answered with a nod of her own. C.C. herself said nothing more to that, instead retaining her frown.

* * *

**Horai** **Izakaya**  
**Naha, Independent State of Okinawa  
****March 29, 2025 a.t.b.**

"_…Though order has long been reestablished in the Imperial Capital following the Day of the Founding attack, fear and pandemonium are still rampant throughout the mainland_ _as Britannians_ _can only wonder just how it all happened and whether it will happen again. Many have taken to arming and supplying themselves in anticipation for a full out invasion of the homeland, while others have attempted to flee altogether. In response to these developments, His Highness Second Prince Schneizel has personally reaffirmed that all is being done to track down the perpetrators, whose identities have not been released to the public at this time, and that the Britannian people must remain stalwart in the face of this new threat…_" the Sky News anchorman continued to ramble on the television screen, although very few of the Horai Izakaya's patrons were listening.

"Don't you think you've had enough Tamaki?" Sugiyama asked as the latter was trying to drink down his latest _awamori_, but only succeeding in pouring it down his shirt. Beside them, Minami and Inoue could only watch the whole scene with some measure of amusement.

"Enough? The he-ELL!" Tamaki dazedly scowled, his eyes failing to properly focus. "I haven eve-en shtarted! In facst, thisth isth only my sixth…ishth."

At that, he started counting down his fingers in Japanese to make sure that it really was his sixth, though out of drunken reflex they kept folding up again after counted, forcing Tamaki to recount them again and again. He also ended up counting into the "hundredththishes" somewhere down the line.

Inoue sighed in disappointment at the display before taking a sip of her own _awamori_. "If that really is your sixth Tamaki, then you have the alcohol tolerance of a nun. Better do what Kento suggested and call it early."

"For-ge-ht it In-o-ey! I jus gettin started!" Tamaki stated once more, then managing to take another gulp of his drink without spilling it again. He then looked at Inoue with a twinkle in his eyes. "B-iy the waay, did I evar men-shin you looked re-eel good In-o-ey!"

Suddenly Sugiyama's head shot up with a less than pleasant gaze. Though they had yet to get married, he and Inoue had been a couple for some time since their surviving the Devastation, and as such he was easily agitated by anyone who dared to make a pass on his girlfriend. "What are you getting at Tamaki?"

Inoue, on the other hand, took on a more mischievous expression. "Why no, Shinichiro, you never told me that."

"Re-eeallly?" Tamaki slurred, visibly shocked through his intoxication. "We-ell, you arre reelly hawt, In-o-ey. I don no why I nev-a told you tha-t be-forrr."

"Well, now that you have told me…" Inoue spoke with mock innocence. "What is it that makes me look good?"

"Wut does-ent make you look goo-od!" Tamaki admonished, taking a moment to look her over from head to toe, an action which doubled the ever growing fury within Sugiyama. "You gawt the be-est damn body I've ev-ar see-en on a wo-maan, a-loong with tha be-estest damn _chi-chiiis_. I te-ell you, if you we-rre my gurl-frend, I'd ma-ake luv to you every ti-ime I ga-at the ch-aaance."

"Oh…!" Inoue looked away with feigned embarrassment. "You're just saying that to be nice!"

"No-oo, I'ma seree-us, In-o-ey!" Tamaki yelped. And then in a motion that surprised even Inoue, the drunk Black Knight pilot leaned across the table so that he could grab both of Inoue's breasts. "See-ee? Just li-ieke two reeely reeely big mars-melll-os!" he said as he lightly squeezed them.

Finally reaching the breaking point, Sugiyama snapped his arms out and grabbed Tamaki's, forcing them off of Inoue as well as forcing Tamaki to finally notice the violent intent in his comrade's face. "Tamaki, _so fucking help me_…!"

"He-ey he-ey, no nee-ed to ge-t maad, Soogee-yam-ma." Tamaki replied, right before he also looked Sugiyama down from head to toe. At that, the twinkle reentered his eyes. "B-iy the waaay, you luuk re-eelly hawt too-o."

"_…with the latest conquests of Abakan and Kyzyl, effectively placing over half of the Siberian Federal District under Imperial_ _occupation. In response to these losses, EU President Joseph Goebbels declared in a press conference in Nuremburg that 'all soldiers of the Russian State Forces are to use whatever means necessary to keep the Imperial Army from advancing into the west…'"_

With that, Inoue burst into hysterical laughter while Sugiyama lurched forward and wrapped his arms around Tamaki's neck, fully intending on choking both the life and alcohol out of his fellow Black Knight. "I don't care if you are wasted, I'll kill you!" Sugiyama roared as he shook Tamaki back and forth.

"Will you guys keep it down? I'm trying to watch the news." Minami said with annoyance. He had had been sitting at the same table as the other three the entire time and was fully aware of what was going on, but instead of joining in, he chose to focus his attention on the television screen.

Looking around from where Sugiyama and Tamaki were wrestling, Inoue cast a small glance at her other comrade. "Why bother Minami? It's just the same old _kuso_. It's either about Pendragon or about the war or whatever some bastard politician misspoke in front of a camera."

"You forget Inoue just how hard news is to come by in this area of the world. Therefore, I want to know as much about everything as I can learn, especially before we go out again." Minami replied without looking back.

Inoue had to concede the point there, as aside from local television, Okinawa could only get international news from pirating signals from other networks. This was an extremely risky venture, as in spite of the measures placed to prevent such an occurrence, the signals could always be traced and followed back to the island, effectively revealing its presence to all. But at the same time, for the Black Knights to operate and the inhabitance to keep up to date on the world's affairs, it was a necessary risk all the same.

_"…As His Highness Fourth Prince Horatio returns from the mainland to continue his command over the Russian Theater. In an interview with Sky News reporter Patricia Harris, His Highness stated that 'I am quite pleased with Britannia's continued success against the European Union in all fronts. If things continue toward the Empire's favor__, the St. George's Cross will be waving from the Central Hemicycle's roof by Christmas…'"_

As Tamaki and Sugiyama's struggle degenerated into a fist fight in the background, one that was attracting more and more attention, Inoue wondered out loud to Minami about the last part of his statement. "You really think we'll be heading back out so soon?"

"You'd have to take that up with Ohgi." Minami replied as he continued to watch. "But just the same, I get the feeling that this is going to be a very short break for us."

"And you believe that, because…?" Inoue continued to prod.

"'Attack the enemy where he is unprepared, appear where you are not expected.'" Minami replied, quoting something he read from Sun Tzu's _Art of War_. "Yeah we hit the Imperial Capital, but the world still thinks we're dead and Britannia is still distracted by its war with the EU and the Chinese remnants. We would be fools not to take advantage of that as soon as possible, before the whole world falls under _their_ control."

Once more without looking over, he reached behind him and grabbed his drink, taking a sip while continuing to watch the TV. "As such, I suggest you make as much of this break as you can, because once we're out, we won't be back for a long time."

Inoue took that in and sighed again, feeling depressed at the idea of having to leave their sanctuary so soon, but at the same time knowing its necessity. This time she drank her _awamori_ down fully. "You're a real ray of sunshine Minami. With that crappy attitude, it's no wonder why Ohgi gave you the _Ikaruga_."

"It's one of the reasons why I'm still alive Inoue." Minami said, before having to reflexively duck in order to avoid a flying glass that Tamaki had chucked at Sugiyama, but missed. It was only then that people got up to break the two apart.

_"…Meanwhile in the Western European front, Sky News has now confirmed that the Imperial Fifth Fleet has made contact with forces of the German State Navy off the coast of Jutland, beginning what could be one of the largest naval offensives in history…"_

* * *

**Japan Memorial Park**  
**Naha, Independent State of Okinawa  
****March 29, 2025 a.t.b.**

_"We dedicate this land to those who perished on September 13, 2017 a.t.b. May their memories and the memory of their homeland live on for all time."_

Tohdoh read that inscription over and over again, feeling a certain solace in those words, but at the same time also feeling much loss. The inscription and the plaque it was on were both placed on a towering stone pillar, surrounded by flowers at its base; a relatively simple structure that reflected ancient Shinto principles of architecture and spirituality. Along with that, the surrounding park was a relatively new establishment, conceived right after the Devastation to serve exactly as the plaque read. For such a purpose, the park had been developed from the beginning as a reflection of Japan's Nara Park, eschewing the standard Okinawan jungle setting for a traditional Japanese forest setting, complete with the accompanying trees and grassland; all that was missing were the sika deer and the various temples. And with the sun beginning to set into the evening, casting darkening shadows upon the pillar and the trees, one could truly believe that the spirits were alive and well in such a place.

Slowly, Tohdoh ran his finger over the memorial plaque, feeling the sharp edges of the etched hiragana characters against them. Ever since the park and the memorial pillar had been established, the Black Knight General had visited it whenever he had the time, both to pay his respects to those who had not lived through the Devastation like he had, and to reflect on the past as well as what lay ahead. While this practice did not always soothe the torment he felt within himself, it gave him focus and kept him motivated to go forward, as well as reminding him of what his mistakes and the mistakes of others had cost, and could cost in the future if repeated. And now that it seemed that his course had been set toward the future, he once again came to this place to seek guidance from within.

This time however, Tohdoh was not thinking about Japan or the Black Rebellion or even the Devastation. Instead, the image he held in his mind was that of a small dojo set along the Japanese country side, in which those who sought the martial arts traversed to. Inside he saw a small child training with a larger man, one who possessed scars across his body and seemingly premature grey hair. The larger man eventually knocked down the child in a jujitsu throw, before speaking to the child as he laid on his back on the finer points of the throw, and then once satisfied that the lesson had been put across, the man smiled proudly and pulled the child up and off the mats. Another image shifted to the child, now some years older, practicing swordplay with the older man, both utilizing _bokens_ as their weapons of choice. Then came a new image of the child, now grown into a teenage boy, practicing punches and kicks while the older man stood by, watching intently and with certain satisfaction.

And then came the last image to flash in Tohdoh's mind, which depicted the child, now fully grown into adulthood, standing in the full uniform of the Japanese Ground Self-Defense Forces, while the older man stood before him, greatly angered and all but roaring into the other man's face over his choice to join the military. Tohdoh's eyes reflexively closed at that memory; that night would be one he would never forget, as it had been the last time he had spoken to his father, and he felt only regret that the words spoken between them were in anger.

Then Tohdoh's eyes snapped open once more as he heard the sound of footsteps. Without looking, he could sense Senba walk up to join him before the monument.

"I knew I would find you here." the far older man stated as he came up. "Come to pay your respects to the dead, Kyoshiro?"

"Just reminiscing." Tohdoh replied, not turning to face his comrade. "Remembering the last night I had with my family, and the fight I had with my father over my joining the JGSDF."

"Yes…" Senba nodded in understanding. "Your father mentioned that little exchange to me as well. He didn't want you to live the life of a soldier like he did."

Tohdoh sighed. "Colonel Saburo Tohdoh." he said his father's name out loud. "Hero of the Second Sino-Japanese War, Order of the Golden Kite recipient, known as _Shinigami no Tohdoh_ for his tactical expertise in armored warfare. Credited for the Japanese victories in Shanghai and Wuhan."

"And my friend and commanding officer." Senba finished for Tohdoh. "A good man."

Tohdoh nodded at that, as during that war Senba had been a Captain and one of his father's most gifted and loyal Company commanders. While they were separated by a large degree of rank and protocol, Tohdoh always felt that his father treated Senba more like a brother than a subordinate, and subsequently the portly graying man always felt like an uncle to the younger Tohdoh while growing up. However, their paths divided when Saburo Tohdoh, suffering over the constant bloodshed and death during that war, had retired from the military and placed himself and his family into a sordid exile from civilization, starting up a dojo in the town of Esashi, which was located in northern most Hokkaido. Senba meanwhile remained in the military, though he was still a frequent visitor of his old CO and his family.

Then it all ended when Tohdoh chose, against his father's wishes, to enter into the military himself. Instead of standing beside his father as he usually did, Senba welcomed the younger Tohdoh into the army with opened arms, serving as his teacher and drill instructor for much of Tohdoh's training; a relationship that not even the other Holy Swords knew about. As such, Tohdoh considered himself the man he was today thanks to Senba's teachings, but this too came at a great cost, as Tohdoh's father broke off communication with Senba just as he had done with his son before. From that point on, Kyoshiro Tohdoh and Ryoga Senba were the only family the other had, as Senba had been an orphan growing up.

And now in the present, after everything that had happened, a question hung in Tohdoh's mind like a spider's web. "Tell me Senba, would my father despise me as I am now?"

The older man looked at his commander and one time charge with a raised eyebrow. "I do not understand why you would think that Kyoshiro."

Tohdoh let out a 'heh' at that, as Senba knew exactly what he was getting at. "What's not to understand? It's only been one failure after another: failure to defend my country from foreigners, failure to save my pupil from falling into darkness, failure to liberate my country from tyranny, and then finally failure to save my people from genocide."

Once more, his eyes narrowed on the monument. "For all of those things, as well as disregarding his original wishes, I could understand if my father went to the grave hating me."

"But he didn't, Kyoshiro." Senba finally spoke up. "While your father never wanted you to become a soldier and experience death like he had in China, he never stopped caring about you. The only thing he wished for you was to choose your own way and go forward into the world."

This time Tohdoh looked back at him. "How do you know this?"

"Because he told me himself." Senba explained with a warm smile. "The truth is your father and I never stopped talking; every so often he would contact me, checking up on your progress, but at the same time he didn't want you to lose your focus, so he requested that I keep it all a secret from you."

The younger man eyed his comrade for a moment. "…how long have you two been talking?"

At that, Senba's expression turned grim but hopeful. "All the way to the Black Rebellion. The last thing he told me, was that though he did not agree with your chosen path, he was still proud of the man you had become."

To say the least, Tohdoh felt elated within at that explanation, that the father he had long thought abandoned him still loved him and was proud of him to the end. The knowledge of this was enough that even Tohdoh's icy cold demeanor began to crack from the emotions inside, forcing the man credited for the "Miracle of Itsukushima" to tilt his head in an effort to regain control of himself. And once more he found himself inwardly mourning his family's deaths, as like so many others, Saburo Tohdoh along with his wife Misato and their young daughter Kagura had been amongst those who perished in the Devastation.

And then, after a moment, Tohdoh finally spoke again. "Why didn't you tell me all of this sooner?"

"As cliché as it sounds, I wanted to honor my former commander's wishes even beyond the grave. But seeing you here today, I now see that it is no longer necessary to do so." Senba said.

"So… he really did accept me." Tohdoh murmured at barely a whisper. "But I still can't imagine what he would think of me now, after all that's happened."

"…I think he would tell you to continue forward, as you always have." Senba offered. "Kyoshiro, all human beings experience failure at some point in their lives. Some more than others, some worse than others, but regardless, it is always inevitable."

Once more, Senba offered a small smile. "The difference between men, however, is whether one is able to move forward from his failure or not. Men that are able to move on are able to achieve their desired goals, while those that do not can only drown in themselves, just as Suzaku Kururugi has done."

"Suzaku…" Tohdoh thought out loud, feeling no small amount of remorse at that name.

"In my opinion however, you should not let young Kururugi way on your conscience." Senba spoke objectively. "It was his choice to join the enemy for a hopeless cause, just as it was his choice to continue fighting for them even when the whole world burns."

"He is still my student Senba." Tohdoh replied. "And if the student falls to evil, then the master can only do two things: save him or slay him."

It was a moment before Senba spoke of that. "…with all respect Kyoshiro, I do not think Kururugi wants to be saved."

"Hmmm…" Tohdoh thought with a frown. "You may be right, but it is still my duty to at least try."

Senba shrugged at that. "If that is how you feel." He then looked at his watch, before gesturing toward the path out of the park. "We should go now. The other three are expecting us to join them, and Chiba becomes…'irritable' when you are not around."

Tohdoh grimaced at that, as Asahina and Urabe had told him the same thing many times before. Regardless, he started walking, though he did not hide his annoyance. "Senba, remind me again what possessed me to take her on as one of the Swords."

The older man looked up in thought. "Besides being a skilled soldier and pilot, I think it had something to do with her following your every command without question." Senba then flashed a certain knowing glance. _"You have to admit, she does think the world of you."_

"A little too much." Tohdoh replied coldly, knowing the true meaning behind Senba's words and doing his best to ignore it. While she was an attractive woman and totally dedicated to him, Tohdoh didn't feel he had what she wanted. Besides, there was already enough death in the world for Tohdoh to deal with; he did not need to add the civil war known as "love" on top of it all.

* * *

**Karatsu Apartments Room 319  
Naha, Independent State of Okinawa  
March 29, 2025 a.t.b.**

Just by entering into her abode, Kallen felt her body instinctively relax and be at peace. In design, it was a Japanese style establishment, though slightly enlarged from standard to accommodate two people, complete with two separate bedrooms with connecting bathrooms, a small kitchen connected to a living room area and a large closet area to the side. Though the condominium she shared with C.C. was obviously not as large or as luxurious as her father's mansion back in Japan, Kallen felt more at home in the little space than she ever had in the spacious manor she occupied when living as a Stadtfeld.

Carefully putting her bags down, which she would unpack later on, she then walked into the living room and came over to a mantle at the back of it, which hung over an indoor gas heater cleverly disguised as a fireplace. Upon this mantle were three stone memorial tablets, each one grey and featureless, save for the inscriptions that had been etched into their surfaces. All three of the inscriptions read a name in katakana: James, Haruka and Naoto.

Upon her approach to the three tablets, Kallen's usual hardness was quietly subdued and replaced with something more akin to her old weak girl guise she used at Ashford Academy: soft, calm and radiating warmth. This was all complimented by the small smile she allowed to spread across her lips. _I still miss all of you._

In her mind she could see all three of them, starting with her father James Stadtfeld. In spite of being a Britannian and representing the Imperialist system that Kallen had long grown to despise, he still openly loved her and had always been proud of her as his daughter, something Kallen never understood until just before the Black Rebellion, where he revealed to her that he always regretted sending the woman he loved and their children away, even if it was to keep the Stadtfeld name in the good graces of Britannian society. His taking her and her mother back had been his attempt to make amends, as well as to provide them comfort and safety in a time of chaos, although Kallen had been too caught up in her hatred to recognize that. But in the end he had been able to tell her, and now Kallen could only remember him as a loving father that cared more for his own family than he did himself or his name and status; something that she refused to see him as in the past.

Then there was her mother, Haruka Kouzuki. When she had been a child living in the ghettos, Kallen had idolized her to the greatest extent of the word, as beside her brother she had been the only one who had openly loved her. But then came the death of her son, and she became broken and fragmented, a shadow of the woman that Kallen had once believed was perfect, who willingly chose to return to the man that had abandoned them without any complaint. For a long time, Kallen believed that she had been trying to reclaim a romance with a man that clearly, or so Kallen also believed then, didn't care about her or their daughter, and for that the underground resistance fighter could only despise her to the point of abuse. Then everything changed once again when Kallen saw her in that warehouse, mindlessly wandering about from the influence of Refrain, entranced in the memories of happier times with her beloved children. Kallen had saved her that night only to learn that she would be convicted as a criminal for narcotics use, but even so, she swore at the side of her hospital bed that she would create a world where they could both live happily. Unfortunately it was not to be, as that would be the last time Kallen would ever see her mother alive.

And finally, there was her brother, Naoto. From the beginning he had been there for her and their mother, the 'man of the family' in the absence of their father. When they had no money for food, Naoto would shoplift from the nearest grocery store. When they didn't have a car but needed to get to somewhere in an emergency, Naoto would always find one to "borrow", but always being mindful to return it to its rightful owners when it was no longer required. When the other neighborhood kids tried picking on Kallen because of her Britannian features, Naoto would be there to defend her, even if it meant having to fight far superior numbers. It was because of this virtue that eventually drove Naoto to believe that if Britannia were expelled from Japan, then his family could live happily, causing him to form the terrorist cell that would become the foundation of the Black Knights alongside his high school friend Ohgi. But this would only prove to be his undoing, as he would die early on, years before the Black Rebellion and the Devastation. Although Kallen missed her family dearly, she especially missed her older brother and the feeling that he would always be there for her, something that could never be replaced by anyone else.

Kallen sighed at the memories, as that was all she had now, as well as finding dark irony in that it was only after they were all gone that she realized that she had had a family, that she had never been alone in the world. Tears threatened to emerge from her eyes at that thought, but she kept them back, knowing that even though she could no longer be together with them, she would continue to fight for the world they all wanted.

"…yes, you heard me correctly: a single stuffed crust that's half meat lovers and half Hawaiian, with an order of breadsticks and two bottles of Mountain Dew on the side." the voice of C.C. spoke from the kitchen, causing Kallen to revert back to reality. "Oh, and I'd like the military discount on this as well."

The redhead frowned as she looked back to see C.C. speaking over the phone. _And the Pizza Girl lives on._

"Right, twenty minutes. _Arigato_." C.C. hung up the phone soon after. Feeling a pair of eyes on her, she looked over to where Kallen was standing. "Is there a problem?"

"What was wrong with eating in? Aoi kept it stocked while we were away." Kallen asked, frown still across her face.

"I have three reasons for that." C.C. replied as she walked over to stand across from Kallen. "First, both of us are too tired to cook, and microwave dinners are disgusting. Second, I haven't had a decent pizza in over a month, as the _Ikaruga_'s cook can't tell the difference between tofu and mozzarella cheese. And third and most important, tonight's a celebration."

"A celebration? For what?" Kallen asked.

C.C. smirked. "Why, your birthday of course. Don't tell me you've forgotten it."

A moment of shock came across Kallen as she had indeed forgotten. But sure enough, it was her birthday all the same, and she ended up cringing over the fact that she failed to remember, especially when the damned witch did.

"You did, didn't you?" C.C. assessed, her smirk taking on a more fox-like form. "Well, fortunately for you I can remember things as far back as several hundred years, while Ohgi and the others made it a point to keep the date of your birth in mind. The party's tomorrow at some place called 'Kawashige', by the way."

Despite that news, Kallen didn't show any kind of reaction, instead looking away in thought. In truth, she didn't know what to feel on the inside about that, as if it were a new feeling that she had never considered before. She knew that each year she lived to have a birthday should have been a celebration of life, but at the same time she couldn't help but feel guilty for being allowed to survive when so many others, including her family, did not. It was a true Catch-22 in her mind.

"With that settled." C.C. interrupted her thoughts once more, seemingly purposely. "I have a present for you."

Before Kallen could ask, C.C. wandered toward her room and shut the door. The next few moments were followed by the sounds of clothes and more solid objects being tossed about as the witch dug through the messy confines of her room. Kallen rubbed a hand at the side of her face, wondering just how someone who was immortal and had mysterious mystical powers could be such a slob when it came to day to day living.

A minute or so later, the witch emerged from her room with a long wooden box in hand. After gesturing for Kallen to come closer, they both knelt and C.C. placed the box horizontally across the floor. Then, C.C. removed to lid to reveal the box's contents: a single Japanese katana with vibrant red hilt weaving and a golden oval shaped _tsuba_, sheathed in an equally vibrant red _saya_.

_A katana?_ Kallen thought, as she took the sword out of the box and looked it over. Gently, she pulled the sword partly out of thet _saya_ and looked across the blade, which shone as if it were just made, yet spoke of a quality unseen in modern day swords. Kallen could tell this sword was from a time long past.

"Its name is _Hiryu_." C.C. said with a new smirk.

"Flying Dragon." Kallen also smirked, seeing the irony of the name. "Very funny." As she slipped the entire blade out of the _saya_ to study it, her expression turned visibly awestruck. "It's beautiful."

"I hope so. According to Oda, it is the 'finest blade ever to be made.'" C.C. said.

"Oda?" Kallen looked up in question. "Was he this sword's original owner?"

"Indeed he was. I met him a long time ago during my travels." C.C. confirmed.

Kallen looked back at the sword. "Was he anyone I would have heard of?"

"You could say that." C.C. replied knowledgably, looking up in thought. "I believe you Japanese referred to him as _Owari no Outsuke_."

Kallen nearly dropped the sword at the mention of that name, which translated to the 'Fool of Owari'. This was only to be expected, as everyone who knew something about Japan's long and bloody history knew it and who it referred to. "This sword belonged to Oda _Nobunaga_!?"

"Yes, but long before he became the warlord that conquered a third of Japan." C.C. continued to explain. "At some point, I ended up wandering into Owari around the time he was still a teenager. Naturally, because of my appearance and the fact I couldn't die, the inhabitance labeled me as a witch and I was forced to live in the mountains in solitude."

As C.C. could see that Kallen had taken exceptional interest in this story, the explanation went forward. "Apparently my reputation was quite well known, because one day Nobunaga appeared on my doorstep and demanded in exchange for that sword, which had been given to him at birth by Hirate Masahide, I grant him the power 'to conquer the world ten times over.'"

"…You gave him Geass." Kallen surmised.

"Of course. How could I refuse such a direct request?" C.C. smiled almost fiendishly. "His Geass was the Power of Absolute Madness. With it he could strip the sanity and morality of those that fell into its influence, turning them into unrelenting berserkers. It was pretty advantageous in his conquests, as he would use it on his army and easily overwhelm his enemies."

Kallen thought about that for a minute. "You realize you directly contributed to one of Japan's darkest historical periods by giving a warlord's son, who was well known for his eccentricity, great mystical power?"

Surprisingly, the witch openly laughed at that. "Nobunaga _wasn't_ eccentric. Quite the contrary, he was a genius that nobody could understand." she continued. "He was one of the few Japanese that valued firearms over swords, did not see any practicality in _bushido_, preferred art and culture over constant warfare, and did open business with _gaijin_, specifically European missionaries and arms merchants; all things that were considered extremely radical, yet they still worked toward his gain and ambition."

The witch then looked Kallen in the eye. "Sounds a lot like someone we know, doesn't it?"

As indirect a reference as that was, Kallen still looked away slightly. "…Why are you giving me this? A keepsake like this should be extremely valuable to you."

"It is." C.C. acknowledged. "But I believe it will be in better hands with you, and your role as Lelouch's protector."

Kallen conceded that with a nod, then slipped the sword back into its sheath. She then got up and, turning so that C.C. was to her aside, assumed an Iaido stance, draw slashing the sword with lightning speed, then performing two more slashes before sheathing it once more. Just from her form, it was apparent that Kallen was quite familiar with a blade, thanks to some side training from Tohdoh. "It's got great balance. I felt almost no resistance in that draw."

"I hope you use it well, Kallen." the witch nodded with approval.

Just after she said that, a knock at the door sounded. Kallen quickly opened the door to come face to face with a pizza delivery boy.

"Evening _Ane-san_. I have a delivery for…" the teenaged pizza boy started, then looking at the receipt. "'See-too'?"

"Finally!" C.C. replied, jumping up, moving around Kallen, grabbing the pizza box and the plastic bag containing the soda and then moving back to the kitchen table before anyone could blink. "I thought that would never get here!"

Kallen shook her head, before hearing the delivery boy speak again. "You know…" the boy spoke with a smile and an attempted alluring tone. "I find nothing sexier than a beautiful woman holding a katana."

At that, Kallen just looked back at him and returned a mock smile. "Rent _Blood+_. You'll love it."

She then paid and slammed the door.

* * *

**Black Knights air battleship **_**Ikaruga**_  
**Air Harbor 01, ****Independent State of Okinawa  
****March 29, 2025 a.t.b.**

"Your Earl Grey, Master Lelouch." Sayoko said softly before putting a teapot and a cup on the table in front of her master.

Lelouch was grateful enough to nod his thanks as Sayoko took the teapot and poured its steaming contents into the cup. Sayoko saw this and replied with her own warm expression; however, on the inside it still pained her to see the master she had served for so long in such a state as he was now: worn and conflicted. It didn't help that it was barely a few days ago that he had been acting in the way she had best known him for, only to realize that such a life was not real.

"Sayoko." Lelouch at long last spoke out, surprising his maid and attendant as she was putting down the teapot. "Did Diethard or someone else assign you to watch over me as Sarah Beckett?"

Despite the inquisitive nature of the question, Sayoko kept her warm expression. "No, I volunteered for that mission."

"Why?" Lelouch asked in visible wonder.

"Because just as I chose to serve you and Mistress Nunnally years ago, I chose to remain in your service now." Sayoko explained simply.

"Whose service are you referring to? Mine or Zero's?" Lelouch asked a bit more collectedly.

The maid looked a little perplexed at that. "Why, yours of course, Master Lelouch."

As Lelouch picked up the teacup, he couldn't help but slightly see his own degenerated reflection upon the liquid's surface. He cringed on the inside at it while outwardly he continued to speak. "You're able to do this, even knowing I'm no longer the boy you served in Japan?"

"If I may speak on a whim, Master Lelouch, I do not believe that is true." Sayoko replied, her voice still kindly but her words holding meaning. "I believe that the kind, gentle boy that lived to look after his little sister still exists, even if you do not think so. Just as I also believe that same boy will continue to strive for a peaceful world, the one that he wanted for his sister."

Something stirred at that, but Lelouch still didn't visibly respond. Instead, he once more glanced over to the mask that sat on the table, seemingly waiting for him to slip it back on again. To his eyes, it still looked like a great millstone even now, but he did well not to forget that it had been one he bore of his own choosing originally, all for Nunnally's sake. Everything he had done had been for her, even his decision to join Euphemia's SAZ. The irony in that could have eclipsed the earth itself.

_Nunnally…_ Lelouch's mind spoke out woefully. He looked back up at Sayoko. "While you were in Pendragon, were you able to…?"

"My apologies." Sayoko interrupted, already knowing what her master was going to ask. As such, her expression turned to show pure sympathy and remorse. "I looked everywhere for clues on Mistress Nunnally's whereabouts, but as she is believed to have perished with her mother, there wasn't anything to go on."

Lelouch felt his jaw bite against his lower lip before he asked the next question. "Do you believe her to be dead as well?"

The maid shook her head. "I believe she is still very much alive, if only for similar reasons to why the Emperor spared you. As long as she is, then I will do everything in my power to find her, I promise."

The former Black Prince found himself nodding at that, then closing his eyes. Just as Sayoko was about to make her exit, he spoke once more. "For whatever it's worth to you Sayoko, you have my thanks. For everything."

After a moment's pause, the maid turned and bowed, then spoke again. "I live only to serve, Master Lelouch."

* * *

**John Colahan Army Medical Center**  
**Pendragon, Holy Britannian Empire  
March 28, 2025 a.t.b.**

Suzaku knew he was alone in the dark hospital room, as visiting hours were long past and it would be sometime before his next checkup. But at the same time he also knew that he wasn't alone.

He could feel a familiar presence by him, one that he had known for a long, long time; a presence that, in spite of the unraveling of events, had remained with him even when he did not wish it to be there. Like the devil himself, it had always been there, and had always come to him during his lowest moments, mocking him for his failures and berating him for his perceived foolishness. It would always look down on him as if he were a child, showing its disgust and disapproval, looking at Suzaku as if he were the lowest form of existence, but at the same time never leaving his side. Naturally, Suzaku chafed at the presence and had more than once demanded it to leave him be, but no matter what he did, it would always return to glower and mock him further.

This time however, the presence chose to remain unseen and silent. Instead of visibly appearing before him as it always did, it remained at the edge of the darkness, analyzing him all the same in a predatory manner, as if it were trying to detect a sign of weakness upon Suzaku's form. This was the first time it had ever done this, but Suzaku could still feel himself shift under its gaze, feeling just as much unease as he had when the presence was visibly before him. For minutes, perhaps hours as there was no way of knowing, it continued to gaze upon him from the edge of the room, before Suzaku finally relented.

"If you have something to say to me, then be done with it. Otherwise leave me alone." Suzaku growled toward its direction.

"…I was content to merely observe you Suzaku." spoke a hardened, unwavering voice, one that possessed a baritone much similar to the Britannian Emperor's. One that Suzaku had heard quite often as a child.

Then out of the darkness came a large and robust Japanese man, dressed in a brown suit with an overcoat, holding an uncompromisingly stern face. Though the man would not have been as well recognized now as fifteen years ago, Suzaku had no trouble recognizing his father, Genbu Kururugi. "And I must say my son, _you look pathetic_."

"Have your laugh." Suzaku glared back up to the image of his father. "Such words are meaningless coming from the dead."

"And yet you have always kept me by your side, just for that purpose." Genbu replied, walking around Suzaku's hospital bed, once more in a predatory manner. "After all, it was by your foolishness that I died, that so many suffered under Britannia's occupation, that Japan was consumed by smoke and fire."

Genbu then leaned forward to stare into Suzaku's eyes. "So, what will your foolishness bring now Suzaku? What new destruction will you bring about when you are forced to face Lelouch in battle?"

"The Black Knights won't succeed in restoring his memories." Suzaku shot back. "They don't have the power to unravel Geass."

"…You know that's untrue." Genbu replied viciously. "Otherwise the Emperor would have had no reason to assign you to guard and monitor Lelouch. No, you two are fated to stand against one another, just like in Shinjuku so long ago."

Suzaku grit his teeth at the idea, causing Genbu to look on in disappointment. "Come now my son, you had already anticipated this, so why does this bring pain to you? Don't tell me that you actually placed value in that artificial friendship you made when he was Britannia's Black Prince."

"I admit that it was a false life…" Suzaku muttered in disgust. "But still, even if it was all a lie, I still saw Lelouch as my friend, just like I did when we were young."

"How very selfish of you." Genbu retorted disapprovingly. "You bring him before his enemies to have him stripped of everything he cherished, and yet you still claim to be his friend? How far have you truly fallen Suzaku?"

"Shut up!" Suzaku roared at the image. "I did what I had to do. Lelouch chose to be my enemy, chose to stand against my efforts to change the system, so I had to stop him!"

"Yet, even that failed in the end. And worse, now Lelouch is far stronger than he was during the Black Rebellion, thanks to the military training you aided him with." Genbu replied. "You've only made your enemy stronger."

"I don't care!" Suzaku growled. "Even if he can fight for himself now, if he stands in my way…"

"…you'll kill him?" Genbu finished. "Just like you could have done at Kamine but chose not do?"

"…If it means bringing about the world that Euphie wanted, then yes!" Suzaku shot back up to Genbu. "I will destroy everything in my way!"

At that, Genbu smiled. "Just as you did with me fifteen years ago. History truly does repeat itself."

Suzaku's eyes widened at that and the color visibly drained from his skin. Almost as if all the energy drained out of him, his head hunched over and he found himself staring down at the white sheets of his bed.

"I suppose I've said enough at this time…" Genbu said, seeing that his son was no longer able or willing to speak further. At that, his image suddenly began to reenter the darkness. "I look forward to our next meeting, my son."

And much like one of the Ghosts of Christmas, Genbu Kururugi disappeared completely from Suzaku's sight. But even so, the younger Kururugi barely noticed this, as his mind railed over what Genbu had said. How fifteen years later, after everything Suzaku had suffered through and sacrificed, he was only going to repeat the process again.

"For Euphie's world… For Euphie's world…" Suzaku muttered over and over again as his mind continued to reel, producing images going as far back as the peaceful days in Japan, of himself, Lelouch and Nunnally when they were children. The images of Ashford Academy were quick to come as well, followed by the times Lelouch risked himself for Suzaku's safety or Suzaku doing the same for Lelouch, their friendship strong and seemingly unbreakable. This was then followed by the images of the recent years, of the two of them supporting each other in battle, _Lancelot_ and _Gawain_ fighting side by side, as well conversing when not in combat.

And then, in one gigantic implosion, the images blended together to Kamine Island and the sight of himself and Lelouch each pointing a gun at the other, their fingers slowly pulling back against their respective triggers. "For Euphie's world…" Suzaku finally muttered, his lips peeling back into a crazed smile. _"I will kill Lelouch!"_

And just as the sound of those words rang in his ears, Suzaku's head reeled up as the room became filled with his laughter, minute at first but quickly gaining momentum until it reverberated within the confines of the room. At this, the nurse monitoring him was quick to notice the rise in his blood pressure and soon after that, the entire ward of the hospital became filled with activity as doctors and nurses scrambled to stabilize the Knight of Seven.

* * *

TO BE CONTINUED…

**Author's Notes: **Finally, the Black Knights return home. I feel like I took too long getting them there, but at the same time I didn't want them to just show back up in Okinawa after sacking Pendragon. That said, I have several things to note.

At this point, I would like to announce that beside _Megiddo_, I will be working on another fanfic, _Mobile Suit Gundam Alpha_. I know what some people may think over this, but don't worry, my main focus remains with Megiddo; _MSGA_ is meant to give me something to work on the side. If you're a _Gundam_ fan, especially of the One Year War and/or the original 1979 series (this is a J.J. Abrams style revamp of that series and beyond), then be sure to check it out in 's UC Gundam section. I don't think you'll be disappointed. And if you're not a _Gundam_ fan, well, at least take a look at it, if only because I'm writing. ^_^

For those wondering, yes Kidomaru, Tayuya, Jirobu, Sakon and Ukon are based on the Sound Four (Five) from _Naruto_, while Jugo is also based on a character from that series. Essentially, I wanted Zero Squadron to be something of a combination between the US Army Green Berets and the 11th "Zaraki" Division (_Bleach_): an elite unit of renegades that specialize in fighting and accomplishing "impossible" assignments. I figured for a unit under Lelouch's direct command, he wouldn't go for model soldiers so much as he would those with talent, since that would go hand-in-hand with most of his "miracle" tactics. After all, even Christ picked out the dregs of society (i.e. fisherman and tax collectors) to be his Apostles.

Also on the side, I re-read Charmelle's profile from Stage 17, and realized that her profile lists her age at 23 (which would make her 28 in Megiddo). As I had meant her to be two years older than Gino (thus making her 18 in Season One and 26 in Megiddo), I'm going to pull a retcon and claim that her age listing was in error, much to her dismay at the time.

For Aoi's design, I based her off of Sailor Saturn (Hotaru Tomoe) from _Sailor Moon_, as she was my favorite sailor scout and one of the first anime characters that comes to mind when I think "majestic". That and as demonstrated by _Rurouni_ _Kenshin_'s Tsubame Sanjo, another character that was aesthetically based off of Sailor Saturn, that kind of woman looks really good in a western maid uniform.

And lastly, I'd like to remind everyone that the Code Geass Fanon wiki is open to any writers with extra material on their fanfics (link is in my profile or the previous chapter).


	11. Chapter 11: Return of the Unholy King

"_In the year 1999, upon the final month, from the sky will come the great King of Terror. He will bring back to life the great King of the Mongols. Before and after, War reigns happily."_  
- Michel de Nostradamus

**Chapter 11: Return of the Unholy King**

**Independence Hall**  
**Philadelphia, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania**  
**June** **15, 1830 a.t.b.**

"You… you cannot possibly be serious General…!" exclaimed a bespectacled and portly man, dressed in high end colonial clothing and possessing long gray hair that ran down to his shoulders. The expression on the man's face was nothing short of pure horror.

"Unfortunately, I am serious Ben." the opposite man stated in a dark tone. Compared to his compatriot, he was dressed in a formal military uniform, one clearly influenced by the Britannian Imperial Army but moderately altered to reflect its wearer's differing allegiance. He too had grayish hair, except that it was shorter and was not gray naturally but through powdering. "I want you to take the Duke of Britannia's offer."

That horror was quickly replaced by anger. "I don't know how you learned of the Duke's callous attempts to bribe me, but surely you realize what you are asking me to do!" Benjamin Franklin, Speaker of the Pennsylvania House, American diplomat, and many other things, practically bellowed with his hands curled into fists and trembling. "You are asking me to betray both my countrymen and my conscience for Britannia and the evil that it represents!"

"It is the only way Ben." General George Washington, Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army replied, trying to sound reassuring though he knew it was impossible. "In just over a year, Congress will elect to send you to France to ask for their aid in our revolution. You will succeed in this endeavor, and the French will prove to be valuable allies against Britannia, as will the Dutch and the Spanish. With our combined strengths we will easily overthrow the Empire's control over America."

Washington remained composed, even with what he was about to say next. "I am asking you to make sure that never happens."

Needless to say, Franklin looked as though he wanted to try and strangle the General. "Even if I believed you and your fortune telling ways General, which I don't, is that not the exact cause that we are all fighting for? Our independence from the Empire and its tyranny?"

"I have not forgotten that, but at the same time, I know what will happen when we win this war." Washington replied as he casually paced toward a nearby window, which overlooked the courtyard to the Hall. Below he could see a garrison of soldiers, at attention and looking quite ready to fight on the given command. "America will eventually grow to surpass even Britannia and become the most powerful nation this world will ever see. For a time our descendents will have peace, but in the end that peace will be short-lived and this world will be consumed by a destruction that no human will escape."

He then turned back to face Franklin. "I cannot tell you how or why, but the Holy Britannian Empire is the only factor keeping this destruction at bay. And so, as damned as I am for saying these words, mankind needs Britannia if it is to have a chance at survival."

"You have gone completely mad General." Franklin replied with grit teeth, his expression speaking volumes of his disbelief.

Washington only laughed at his friend's accusation. "And yet for a madman, I continue to hold onto my composure. You of all people would know the sight of a madman Ben, especially after having to deal with those fools on the Privy Council, and as you can clearly see I am not mad."

Franklin had to concede that point; as much as he didn't want to believe it, Washington acted as sane as he always had. That and Franklin also knew that, whether be it by God or some other means, every prediction that the General had made in regards to the future always came true in the end. From as far back as when he was a child, George Washington had had a gift for telling what laid ahead in time; at the age of seven he had predicted that Britannia would engage in a war with the Native tribes, who were being manipulated in the background by the French, and that Britannia would be victorious in the aftermath. He had also made other predictions that seemed to be much further in the future, foreseeing revolution taking hold of Europe in its entirety and the Tudor Dynasty's fall from power, as well as even stranger things such as wars of the future utilizing advanced and terrible weapons: firearms that fired repeatedly, machines that were capable of flight, soldiers dressed in full body armor like those of the Roman legions and perhaps the most bizarre, armored knights as large as giants that moved with wheels on their feet instead of running.

No one knew how he was able to do it except for his constant companion, a mysterious woman that was not his wife nor, as far as anyone knew, his lover and yet always remained at his side. While Franklin liked to think he also had some companionship with her, she was unwilling to tell him anything. But that didn't matter when compared with the seemingly fated occurrences of these visions; with that in mind, Franklin surmised that his friend knew of which he spoke.

Sighing, Franklin almost slumped over, knowing that the General was only speaking the truth. "But what of America, General? What of liberty?"

"Liberty? What good is liberty if it only serves to doom our fellow man, as well as our children?" Washington looked as though he were slapped in the face. "Don't you understand Ben? That is exactly what will happen if the United States of America comes into being, and that is why the dream must end before it begins."

Franklin paused for a moment to think of those words. _The United States of America._ _Such a beautiful name…_ he then looked back at Washington. "And yet you are still willing to fight for that dream to the end."

"Indeed." Washington replied simply. "My whole life has been dedicated to this land. Therefore I will fight for it until my very last breath alongside my countrymen, knowing that while we are destined to lose in the end, we will die holding onto our principles."

"While I live the life of a traitor and a servant to a crown I despise with all my being." Franklin replied solemnly.

At that, Washington came over and rested his arms on Ben's shoulders, once more trying to look reassuring. "I know it will be a difficult life for you Ben, but it will not be a wasted one. While history may remember you as a turncoat, you will die in peace, knowing that you single-handedly brought salvation for all mankind. What better fate could a man have?"

This time Washington's reassurance seemed to reach Franklin, although the other man still looked entirely conflicted. After a minute, Franklin waved Washington's arms away and spoke again. "I assume you foresaw I would ask for time to consider such an infernal proposal?"

"I didn't need one for that." Washington replied with a small frown. "Please do not take too long in making up your mind. Time is of the essence."

"It always is." Franklin spoke, his voice even, but sounding as though he were restraining himself. After he spoke those words, he turned around and marched out of the room, his anger over the matter apparent with each step as well as the slamming of the door behind him. A brief period of silence followed this, much like the aftermath of a thunderstorm.

In that time, Washington had wandered toward a nearby table and opened up a bottle of whiskey, one of his own family's creations. As he slowly poured the contents of the bottle into a nearby shot glass, he spoke up once again. "That could have gone better, couldn't it?"

"Don't sound so casual. You wouldn't have reacted any better yourself." C.C., who had been standing at the side of the room the whole time, spoke up whimsically. Both Franklin and Washington had known she was there, but she had chosen to remain silent with the whole matter. "You may have a gift for writing words George, but you're a pitiful speaker, especially when it comes to 'infernal proposals'."

"I suppose you're right." Washington replied, as he took the glass and raised it. C.C. was quick to notice that the glass was trembling in the General's hold. "To the United States of America."

With that, Washington brought the glass to his lips and drank the barley enriched alcohol until there was not a drop left. Then, in a move that C.C. fully expected, Washington, in his own inner rage and frustration, threw the glass onto the floor, letting it shatter loudly. When he looked up again, his gaze was turned away from C.C. and he was breathing heavily, the fury he felt at everything no longer constrained within.

Slowly, C.C. came closer to Washington, her face remaining as unconcerned as it usually did, yet there may have been some sympathy across her expression. "Tell me George, do you hate me? For giving you Geass, the Power of Absolute Precognition?"

Washington looked up at her, calming down somewhat. At that point, C.C. had fully crossed the distance between them. "It would only make sense, since it was through me that you had those dreams, that you foresaw your death and the failure of your vision for America."

Though her expression remained emotionless and her voice monotone, Washington could have sworn he heard a twinge of doubt in the latter. In response he gave a small but caring smile, a real one. "I could never hate you C.C. Not after everything we have been through together."

He walked back over to the whiskey table to get another glass. "In fact, I can be no more grateful to you for giving me this gift. Had it not been for this power, I would never have seen such a possible fate in my dreams and I would die unknowing of a potentially grave mistake. Just as you would have continued on without knowing of Geass' dark nature and origins."

When the "witch" didn't answer, Washington turned back to look at her. "Does this trouble you?"

"…No." C.C. replied, looking down slightly. "It's just that… those I've made contracts to in the past have always damned me to some circle of hell or tried to kill me themselves. Aside from one other, you're the only one to not curse my name."

"I don't think it's that surprising." Washington continued to speak warmly. "You told me a long time ago that those with the Power of the King could only live in isolation, but I was fortunate enough not to be given such a fate. It is thanks to this power that I was able to grow from a mere planter's son into the General of an army, that I was able to have a family with Martha and become a father to Jacky and Patsy after Daniel's death, and that I am able to die knowing that the world will continue on." His smile grew at his next words. "And above all else, I was able to meet you."

He then turned around to look at C.C. again. "My question is what will you do after the war is over? Will you remain in America, or will you return to your homeland France, _Je_…"

"I would prefer you not to speak that name here." C.C. replied quickly and sharply. "But to answer your question, I have no desire to remain in Britannian America, neither do I wish to return to a France that is no longer recognizable to me. In fact, I really don't know where I want to go."

"A pity." Washington replied, taking another drink of whiskey. "However, I implore you to reconsider France, as I hear that its people are suffering terribly from the _Ancien Régime_. They could certainly use a revolution of their own, as well as a hero to lead them with Geass."

"I'll consider it." C.C. replied, and then turned to make her way out of the room. But just as she was about to open the door, Washington spoke up again.

"…I had another dream." Washington said, stopping C.C. in her tracks. "One that also depicts the distant future, but more importantly, involves you."

C.C. didn't turn around, but it was clear that she was interested as she remained where she stood. Seeing that, Washington continued. "A very long time from now, Britannia will grow to control one third of the entire world, and its tyranny over mankind will become legendary. Its dominion will move toward the east, in which it will conquer a land that is said to be under the rising sun…"

As her face was turned away from Washington's sight, he did not see the realization that came across C.C.'s face upon that last part.

"But in spite of its power, Britannia will fail to conquer the spirit of that land's people, and so another revolution will come about. During that revolution, a lone and seemingly insignificant man, dressed in a black cloak and hiding his face with a mask, will rise up and lead an army against the Empire. Through his influence and charisma, men and women from all nations will ban together under him, and he will single-handedly become responsible for bringing humanity to providence or damnation, against both Britannia and this yet unseen evil." Washington finished his explanation as he poured another shot of whiskey. He was truly in need of it at this point.

C.C. hesitated before she asked the pivotal question. "…What does this have to do with me?"

"Everything." Washington said after he finished pouring another shot, but he did not drink it just yet. "Just as you have been to me, you will grant this man the power of Geass and become his accomplice, guide, and companion. You will serve as the voice that moves him forward, keeps him focused, and most importantly, drives him to whatever fate that awaits both him and humanity."

The "witch" considered his words for a moment, unsure of what she was supposed to feel towards the idea. "I fail to see how one man can defeat an 'unseen evil' so great that it took the entire strength of Britannia just to keep it restrained."

"Unfortunately, the dream didn't tell me whether he will succeed in the end." Washington added. "All I understand is he will be our last hope, and you will be the one who makes him such." With that, he took another drink.

* * *

**Shuri Castle**  
**Naha, Independent State of Okinawa**  
**March 30, 2025 a.t.b.**

The sun had at last broken over the eastern horizon, shedding light upon the previously darkened city of Naha. From his perspective, Alfred had a grand view of it all as he was currently sitting at the base of Shuri Castle, the original ruling seat of the long past Ryukyu Kingdom, before its dismantlement when Okinawa fell under Japanese dominion. It had been a place he had visited often when he originally came to Okinawa with the other survivors, not only for its historical prospects, but mainly for its placement. From where he was, Alfred could see the city of Naha below, while further to the east and far beyond view was Britannia itself. Despite everything that had been done and his own newfound hatred for the Empire and its callousness towards life, Alfred had yet to shake the leftover homesickness he felt toward the land he had been raised within.

He knew he was not the only one that had this sort of problem, as almost all of the Britannians now living in Okinawa had difficulties letting go of their origins. Though the little island in the pacific was a comfortable domain and had provided a home for all of the survivors regardless of their race, it still wasn't like either Britannia nor mainland Japan, and there were still those who were adjusting to their new dwellings eight years later. For himself, Alfred had long gotten used to living in the tropical setting, even with its harsh spring and summer climates and the nearly overbearing humidity. He had long gotten used to the habit of speaking both English and Japanese, switching from one to the other as needed, as well as living in smaller housing, and his meals consisting mainly of seafood. He had even managed to drop any racial pretenses he felt, now seeing the people around him as strictly human as opposed to thinking in terms of Britannian and Japanese or, as ashamed as he was to remember as such, Eleven. However, in spite of his great adjustments, he, like many, many others still had yet to start thinking of this land as 'home'. Perhaps he never would.

At one time such a prospect had actually caused him to cry, knowing that no matter what happened in the future he could never go home again, nor see the warm, smiling faces of his father and brothers. Now, he felt nothing on the inside at that, only a kind of void that signified he had accepted his new life and surroundings on some level. At the very least however, he did find a certain peace in this land and his being amongst its people, along with a feeling of importance and dedication in the Black Knights. And while it was not on the same level as the Glaston Knights, he felt at place in his service to Zero Squadron, as well as a fair amount of comradeship with the other pilots of the unit.

Yet all the same, this was not Britannia, and there was no Andreas Darlton among his new family and friends, nor a Bart L. Darlton, Claudio S. Darlton, David T. Darlton or Edgar N. Darlton. Just their memories, along with those of happier times.

"Our first morning back and look where I find you." a voice interrupted Alfred's thoughts. He turned to see Charmelle, dressed in a light purple tank top and spandex shorts with tennis shoes, walk up to where he was sitting. That combined with the sweat across her features signified that she had originally been jogging.

Alfred nodded to her. "Just watching the sunrise." he waved for her to join him, which she did, taking a seat on one of the same steps as he was seated upon.

"Just the sunrise?" Charmelle inquired, knowing the direction that Alfred was facing and what lay beyond the horizon.

The former Glaston Knight sighed at that; his comrade saw right through him. After a small pause, he began talking again. "My first tour of duty was in the Levant during Operation Lionheart. Back then, neither I nor my brothers knew a thing about the world outside Britannia, and so from the very moment we set foot into that desert, we all got the worst homesickness imaginable. To alleviate it, father would order us to face the west during the sunset, because beyond that horizon was the home we fought for, the home that would welcome us back with open arms once we survived."

He then turned to look back at the rising sun. "Now I find myself facing the east instead of the west, and to a home that only turned us away. And yet despite that fact, I still miss it."

Charmelle could feel sympathy, as she too felt that way. "'Mid pleasures and palaces though we may roam, Be it ever so humble, there's no place like home; A charm from the sky seems to hallow us there, Which sought through the world is never met elsewhere.'"

"Milton?" Alfred inquired.

"John Howard Payne." Charmelle corrected. "You and I are not so different Alfred, as the only thing we ever wanted to be was knights in the service of our homeland. It's only natural for us to feel at a loss for the dreams we worked so hard for, as well as the families that we ended up leaving behind."

"…You miss your 'family'?" Alfred as with peculiarity.

Charmelle frowned at that. "Touché." She replied. "If there's one benefit about being 'dead', it's that I no longer have to hear from them again."

Though she had been considered of noble breed, Charmelle was born the illegitimate daughter of Edward Finlay, 8th Duke of Ontario, and his secretary Mary Josephine. The controversy deepened when not long after her birth, her parents had ended up in a horrific car accident, in which Mary had perished as her airbags mysteriously failed to ignite. Because Edward had been the driver and had managed to walk out of the crash unscathed, it didn't take long for rumors to abound that he had deliberately murdered her, and so for the sake of preserving what little of his reputation he had left, the Duke took the infant Charmelle into his household.

Needless to say, Edward's wife, Victoria, and his three legitimate children Patrick, Jack and Sarah didn't appreciate Charmelle's presence, and so began the hell that was her childhood, which she only escaped by entering military service. And even then, she had it especially difficult; her father's reputation followed her and her drill instructors were especially willing to make life harder for her as a result. At that, Alfred knew it was only through Charmelle's focus on her dream of becoming a Knight of the Round or going into service for royalty that she managed to graduate and become a commissioned soldier and knight of the Empire. Any less would have resulted in failure.

"Regardless of that, all of us here have lost something, but in different ways. It's arguably worst for us Britannians, as unlike the Japanese, our homeland, friends, and families still exist in this world, yet they are beyond our reach. We will probably never return to them, or the dreams that we lived by." Charmelle continued to explain.

"You really know how to make a person feel good Charmelle." Alfred replied flatly.

The other Zero Squadron member chuckled. "At the very least we're still alive, and in a strange way we're still knights, though we now dress in black and serve a different cause."

"Amen to that." Alfred concluded. "I suppose, since things will never go back to what they were, we can only go forward and see where we end up."

"It's really our only option." Charmelle said. "But at the same time, we should never forget where we came from."

"Nor why we chose to fight against the homeland we once served." Alfred concluded sadly as well, continuing to look upon the horizon and what lay beyond. He then leered at another thought. "_Without_ turning it into an excuse to kill people at random, of course."

"You're referring to Liliana, aren't you?" Charmelle frowned again.

Alfred's leer only deepened at the mention of her name. "That bitch is everything that makes Britannia evil, and to this day I still can't believe somebody didn't put a bullet in her head for Nakano, Shinjuku and Asakusa."

Even Charmelle couldn't keep herself from grimacing at the names of the three bloodiest ethnic purges Britannia performed in Japan, as well as how their "comrade" took an enthusiastic part in all three when she was part of the Purist Faction. "I don't like it either, but at least she is, as you put it, a dog. As long as dogs have a tight leash around them, they can be controlled. The one who worries me the most is Marika."

Alfred nodded in understanding. "Yeah, I heard the Major killed her brother at Narita as well, and that she supposedly transferred to Cornelia's command to exact revenge."

"Not that I doubt Ka-, sorry, the Major's ability to defend herself properly, but Marika's too much of a wild card for my liking. We don't know when she may go off or how much damage she'll cause." Charmelle thought out loud.

"Eh, I wouldn't worry too much." Alfred replied with a reassuring smile. "There's not a force in the world that could take the Major by the backside. If there's one Black Knight that can foresee anything and everything possible, it's her."

* * *

**Karatsu Apartments Room 319**  
**Naha, Independent State of Okinawa**  
**March 30, 2025 a.t.b.**

There was no way in heaven or on Earth that Kallen could have foreseen or even considered possible what was happening before her. For perhaps the fiftieth time, she blinked her eyes to make sure that what she was seeing now was not an illusion, and even considered activating her Geass to make absolutely certain. But no matter how many times she did so, things were just as they seemed, which meant as impossible as it was, reality reigned supreme.

"Well, are you going to stand there, or do you want me to eat your portion?" C.C. inquired from where she was sitting. On the kitchen table was clearly breakfast for two, each featuring a French omelet, assorted bread with jam and butter on the side, and a fresh cup of coffee with cream. At the moment, C.C. was spreading grape jam across a piece of bread while the food meant for Kallen remained untouched.

Beyond the kitchen table however, was where Kallen's attention was truly drawn: to put it lightly, her kitchen looked like a culinary disaster area. On almost every surface, from the sink to the stove, there was either a stain or a used pot or pan that had seemingly been flung away at random after serving its purpose, while the sink was filled with random cooking utensils that had yet to be washed properly. Even the floor had not been spared, as there was an abundance of flour, sugar, or egg shells covering every inch, akin to battlefield debris. Kallen could have called it a hallmark to C.C. and her lackluster living style, but the fact it had all happened in her apartment left her a lot less than pleased. _"What the HELL happened here!"_

"Isn't it obvious? I cooked breakfast for us." C.C. replied while munching on a piece of her bread, as if she had not noticed the rest of the kitchen.

"My kitchen's destroyed!" Kallen nearly hollered in her continued astonishment.

"Nothing that can't be fixed." C.C. spoke once more without apparent care.

"'That can't be fixed'? I've seen war zones that were cleanlier than this!" Kallen admonished once more. "Our first morning back, and I have to spend it cleaning up _your_ mess!"

"Well, it's not like I was planning on leaving it this way either." C.C. said matter of factually. "Even I can't stand living with a messy kitchen."

Kallen was about to respond to that remark, but then made a double take toward her roommate as she realized the full scope of her actions. "And since when do you cook anyway? We've been living together for eight years and I've never seen you make anything but orders and reservations!"

C.C. looked as though the answer to that too were obvious. "As long as I have lived, do you really think I _didn't_ pick up some cooking skills along the way?" she then took a sip from her coffee cup. "Just because I've never cooked for you before doesn't mean I don't know how."

"Did you really have to wreck the kitchen while doing it?" Kallen inquired with rage building in her voice at C.C.'s carefree attitude.

"Omelets and eggs." C.C. said once more without apparent emotion. "Speaking of that, I would feel insulted if you did not sit down and at least taste yours."

Sighing in defeat, Kallen pulled her own chair out and took her seat. Once there, she looked over her omelet and nearly hesitated in picking up her fork; as she had never known C.C. was actually capable of cooking, she had no idea what exactly she was about to eat, giving her a sense of sinking dread. For a moment, Kallen even pondered using her Geass to scan the omelet and see if there was any kind of mold or moving parts somewhere under the scrambled egg layer, but she decided against it as she wanted to trust her friend and her apparent skills. Thus, after the moment had passed, she took a piece of the omelet into her fork and placed it in her mouth.

After a few seconds of chewing, Kallen was pleasantly surprised to learn that not only had C.C. not used on hot sauce or anything along that line in her recipe, but it actually tasted good. _Real_ good, so much so that it showed on her expression.

"Good. I was afraid I lost my touch." C.C. said before she took a bite from her own egg. After munching a bit, she looked up in whimsical thought. "Hmmm… Perhaps I should go a little lighter on the eggs next time."

"I don't get it…" Kallen said, looking over her plate. "If you're that good of a cook, then why haven't I ever seen you make your own meals?"

C.C. took a sip of her coffee before explaining. "Let's just say cooking used to be one of my favorite pastimes; it's a skill you gain when you wander aimlessly across the globe. I've been the personal chef of a few kings and generals, as well as a café owner and barmaid, among other things. And then at some point in time, I just stopped."

Kallen was especially curious on that. "Why did you?"

The witch looked to the side as she thought. "Because for humans that cannot die, they can only lose parts of themselves as time continues. Things that are held dear, things that are enjoyable, even things that make you feel alive… if you live long enough, you will find that these can be lost as easily as any keepsake, and that you'll rarely realize that they're gone until it's too late. For me, cooking and the enjoyment and accomplishment I felt towards it was among those things."

"I understand." Kallen spoke, feeling relation on some level toward C.C. She especially knew that she had lost certain parts of herself over the course of her existence. "And yet, you just made breakfast. Why did you suddenly decide to pick it up again?"

At that, C.C. gave a small, knowing smile. "Because after so long, I remembered something else I lost a long time ago. Something especially important to me…"

* * *

**Holly's Café**  
**Naha, Independent State of Okinawa**  
**March 30, 2025 a.t.b.**

"I told you, Espresso is not a shooter." Urabe said flatly as he watched Asahina gag and sputter on his coffee cup. "It's like _wasabi_; you only take a little bit at a time…"

"_Nanjasorya!_" Asahina nearly shouted as he glared at the coffee cup. "That's not coffee, that's liquid sakuradite! Why the hell do you drink that stuff Urabe!"

"It's an acquired taste, one that I gained shortly after Narita. It was one of the few things that kept me going after Katase and the rest of the JLF bought it." Urabe replied as he took back his cup and, contrary to Asahina's action, took a slight sip.

"_Kami_, I'm surprised your stomach hasn't dissolved by now; Rakshata could make that into a weapon for our knightmares." Asahina said as he drowned out the flavor of the coffee with his original cup, which was much more "subdued" than his comrade's.

Urabe considered that. "'The Espresso Wave Surger'…" he then laughed. "That actually sounds pretty cool. Maybe I should offer my _Akatsuki_ as a test bed…"

The exchanges continued on from there, but between the two of them, Chiba wasn't paying attention. Instead she stared down into her own mug, looking upon the reflection of a young but quite troubled woman with brownish gray hair, light gray colored eyes and what seemed to be a general feeling of unease and exhaustion. Chiba knew it was her own reflection, but at the same time it looked like a complete stranger to herself. She could only wonder how long she had looked like that, as well as what happened to the young JGSDF soldier whose only thought and motivation was the defense of her country.

At the very least, she knew what a part of the cause was: her inner turmoil toward a certain man, whom she had chosen to follow to the end, despite his lack of interest in her…

During some point in their conversation, both Asahina and Urabe had noticed that their fellow Holy Sword had remained silent for the extent of the exchange, and turned to see her continually staring at her beverage. At that, Asahina reached in front of her view and snapped his fingers, both the sound and action causing Chiba's head to look up out of reflex. "You alright Chiba? Because truthfully, you look like hell."

At those words, Chiba reverted back to her usual, "serious" self. "I'm fine Asahina. Just a little tired from the last few days."

Despite her valiant attempt to deceive them, both Urabe and Asahina knew their compatriot too well to be fooled. "I warned you Chiba. I told you years ago that _he_ was not the type for a relationship."

"You don't have to put it that way Urabe." Asahina replied. Though it was meant to be friendly, a tinge of warning managed to enter the Holy Sword's tone, whether he was conscious of it or not.

"What other way do you want me to put it in?" Urabe asked, although showing some sympathy. "Of the three of us here, I'm the one that's been under Tohdoh's command the longest, so trust me when I say this: his only devotion is toward vanquishing Britannia and returning liberty to the Japanese. For men like him, there is no room for a personal life or romance, as they are afraid either would only cause distraction and hesitation, as well as unnecessary pain and loss."

"That's bullshit." Asahina stated. "In my personal experience, a relationship or family only motivates you further into the mission. Hell..." he then looked at Urabe dead center while raising his left hand, which held a single, featureless gold ring around the appropriate finger. "You and I can attest to that Urabe."

Urabe nodded in concession; he wore a similar ring himself. "I don't disagree Asahina, but I'm only telling you how it is." the elder Holy Sword replied solemnly, before turning back to Chiba. "Just as well Chiba, you know I would only support you if you and the General hooked up, but it's been fifteen years, and he's not once shown any interest in the prospect…"

"I know." Chiba said staunchly, interrupting Urabe. "And just for fifteen years, I had no problems with it." There was more to it than that, but she didn't feel the need for Urabe and Asahina to know. "As long as he let me stay by his side, as long as he gave me orders to follow and trusted me as his subordinate, I had no issue on following the same mission as him."

She then looked back toward that reflection in the coffee. "But then it all changed at Pendragon. When I was defeated and about to get captured by the Knight of Ten… All of a sudden I could only think about _him_."

"Chiba…" Asahina started.

"I almost died that day." Chiba continued, returning her gaze upon Urabe. "I almost died leaving him to believe he has nothing else to live for; that all he has is this war and his service to Japan and the Black Knights."

Urabe nodded. "I understand." he said, this time trying to be reassuring. "But you're going to need a miracle of your own to see that doesn't happen."

"I'll figure something out." Chiba said simply, before finally taking a sip from her cup.

Though neither she nor Urabe noticed it, Asahina continued to look at her with a sympathetic expression.

* * *

**Okinawa Government Bureau**  
**Naha, Independent State of Okinawa**  
**March 30, 2025 a.t.b.**

"And that concludes our report, Madam Prime Minister." Ohgi said as he stood at attention, in an at-ease stance with his hands clasped behind his back. Beside him, Tohdoh had assumed the same position, though he had remained silent for much of the report.

From behind her Britannian oak desk, which had miraculously survived the destruction of Japan unscathed and so had been adopted for the office's use for that very reason, the Prime Minister rose from her seat with her Japanese robes fluttering gracefully as she did. As she drew close to the window at the back of the office, with the morning light hitting her dead on, both Generals could not keep themselves from holding their breaths, waiting for the current head of office's response.

"Things certainly haven't turned out the way they were supposed to, have they?" the Prime Minister spoke with an even tone. "We've come so far to recover him, and yet Zero is seemingly still far from our reach."

At that, Tohdoh spoke up again. "Rest assured Madam Prime Minister, Zero will return to us in given time. For now, however, we must take strides to increase our fighting power, as we will not catch Britannia completely unguarded again."

The Prime Minister seemed to tilt her head forward slightly upon that proclamation. "Is there any possibility that the Britannians were able to track the _Ikaruga_'s movements here?"

"None." Ohgi replied, this time sounding more resolute. "Intercepted radio transmissions confirm the pursuit forces had been withdrawn shortly after we eluded Schneizel's trap, and following reconnaissance runs showed no other enemy craft in proximity. Unless the Britannian warships can now disappear completely, they were not able to track us here."

"I see." the Prime Minister replied, sounding a little reassured, but not too much to overlook the possible danger. "So all we can do now is continue to build up the Black Knights and pray the Britannians do not discover us."

"Fortunately they are too distracted with their war against the European Union for that." Tohdoh replied. "There have been no reports of activity within Vladivostok or the Chinese and Korean coasts beyond normal procedures. For all intents and purposes, our cover remains."

"Just the way it should be." the Prime Minister said, doing her best to hide her own suspicions. It should have been obvious that the Britannians had deduced the identity of the invaders from Suzaku and Cornelia's firsthand accounts, and yet they appeared to have no interest in searching the most obvious area the Black Knights would have been hiding in. Of course, there were countermeasures in place to make sure that Britannia and the rest of the world would continue to overlook Okinawa, but the Prime Minister would have thought that their enemy would at least put up an effort in searching them out.

Putting that aside for a moment, she decided to focus on the most important matter. "But I am still concerned over the matter with Zero, or should I say Lelouch. As much as I do not wish to doubt his conviction, has there been any sign of his using Geass since his recovery?"

Ohgi furrowed his brow at that. "If you are suggesting that he may have used it on the _Ikaruga_'s crew to manufacture a future escape attempt, the answer is no. Kallen would have picked it up right away with her own Geass."

"Good." the Prime Minister said, sighing in relief. "As I said, I do not wish to doubt his conviction, but as the Britannians put it, it's best to keep all bases covered. I do not want the last eight years to go to waste so easily."

"I think it's a sure bet that won't happen, Madam Prime Minister." Ohgi smirked. "If Lelouch had intended to evade us, he would have done so while we were over the Pacific. Instead he chose to save us in our hour of need, just as he always did in Japan. Therefore, I can honestly vouch for General Tohdoh's words, that Zero will return to us soon."

"If that is what you believe, General Ohgi, then I have little reason not to believe as well." replied Prime Minister Kaguya Sumeragi, as she turned around and faced the two men. "Though I can only wonder what will happen _thereafter_…"

* * *

**Yamamoto Park**  
**Naha, Independent State of Okinawa**  
**March 30, 2025 a.t.b.**

Usually whenever Sayoko went to a park, she came there to relax and feel at harmony with the surrounding nature. While she wasn't much of an outdoorswoman, in the past she and Lelouch had taken Nunnally out to parks around Japan just so she could enjoy the fresh air and sounds of birds chirping; the smiles that the young princess would gain on her face only ensured Sayoko would always make time for weekly park trips. But this time, Sayoko could not allow herself to enjoy the scenery, nor could she allow herself to smile watching a group of children play on the nearby playground, or close her eyes to listen to the various sounds around her.

For this time, Sayoko had come to the park strictly for "business purposes", and the individual she was meeting was not a man, despite his physical frailty, that she ever wanted to let her guard down around. This was complimented by the fact she held no less than fifteen kunai in a garter belt underneath her dress; she would have had more, but she had chosen to wear a sleeveless shirt and skirt combination for this meeting, if only to give the illusion that she was an unarmed bystander. Not that the man she was meeting would ever take her as such.

Sure enough, a peculiar set of footsteps were soon approaching her, one that she instantly recognized. One of her talents as a _kunoichi_ was the ability to discern footsteps from hearing alone, but this man's stride was especially easy to pick out of a crowd.

"On schedule as I expected of you." the man stated as he came to sit next to her on the bench. "I trust your time in Pendragon has been fruitful, Sayoko?"

The ninja maid resisted the urge to leer at the man's inquiry. "Would it not be more prudent for you to receive my report in a more secure location, Reid-_san_?"

Diethard Reid merely gave a corner smirk toward her question. "I believe this location is secure enough." he replied simply. "Now please, deliver your report."

Sayoko's eyes narrowed. While she was not a woman to particularly hold any hatred or grudges, for the last eight years she had grown to despise this man to the point of considering taking his life. Sure, on the outside he was a refined and elegant man gifted with a great intellect and a silver tongue, as well as a gift in acquiring and manipulating facts that made him effective in his role as both the Okinawan Secretary of Media and the Director of the Black Knights' Intelligence Corps, but on the inside, he was every bit a scheming and manipulating serpent that only served the greater good for the time being. While that characterization made him similar to Lelouch, the young prince made up for it by possessing a unique empathy towards others and a selfless attitude to seeing proper justice bestowed for the people no matter the personal cost; Colonel Diethard Reid on the other hand was strictly a self-server whose only interest was having a front row seat at "the turn of the era" as he liked to refer to it. In Sayoko's opinion, he was far too dangerous to keep around, and she would be all too willing to strike him down should he even consider betraying Lelouch.

Unfortunately, in spite of her kind demeanor, Diethard seemed to have become aware of her disliking, and so knowing he was no match for her in a direct confrontation, the manipulator always took steps to ensure she was not in a position to kill him without notice. That was the real reason behind their meeting in public places to discuss otherwise top secret matters, and just in case she were daring enough, Sayoko had no doubts there were no more than five or seven undercover bodyguards, both Britannian and Japanese who had come into Diethard's service, watching her and waiting to see if she would strike. If she had any advantage or way to turn the situation around there, the bodyguards were only serving Diethard as long as Diethard was loyal to the Black Knights and their cause; should he turn, they would no doubt kill the traitor in Sayoko's place.

But for the moment, Sayoko had no choice but to present what she had found. "From my time in Britannia, I can verify that the Britannian war machine remains active with no strains in resources or manpower. Aside from the setbacks in regard to production of new eighth generation knightmare frames, they are showing no signs of faltering in their war."

"Does your assessment include the execution of Operation Jinchu?" Diethard asked.

Operation Jinchu had been the codename for the Pendragon strike, and although Diethard had not been there to witness it, as he apparently found no reason to be there personally, he had been fully briefed along with other Black Knight commanders and other government officials via long-range communication before the operation was carried out. With that reference in mind, Sayoko nodded. "It does, as that battle procured no reported casualties amongst Britannia's nobility or high-level leadership. Beyond the psychological effect it caused, the attack on Pendragon did little long-term damage."

"I see." Diethard exclaimed before inquiring once more. "And what of the home front?"

"Their support of the war is quite high I'm afraid." Sayoko answered. "While there are certain elements that wish to end the conflict with an armistice, the majority are for continuation of the offensive. I'm afraid they are quite taken by the words of their Emperor."

"That's not surprising. Britannians have always been pro-war, as it functions with Imperialist doctrine." Diethard stated. He then asked a pointed question. "And what of your final objective?"

Sayoko frowned at that. "Unfortunately, Princess Nunnally's whereabouts remain top secret, even amongst the royal court." Secretly, Sayoko was thankful she was unable to find Nunnally, as it kept Diethard from sinking his venomous claws into her.

"How disappointing." Diethard exclaimed. "I would have expected more out of you Sayoko."

Sayoko closed her eyes. "I have no excuse."

Diethard regarded her for a moment, and then allowed a smile to show. "No matter. In the end we managed to retrieve our main objective thanks to your efforts. The rest we can deal with at a later time, though it is troublesome that he has not announced himself yet."

"He is still suffering mental feedback from the sudden reemergence of his memories, but Miss C.C. has assured me he will eventually stabilize." Sayoko lied, silently praying to _Kami_ that Diethard didn't pick up on it.

At that, the man nodded in understanding. "Just as long as he eventually returns, I have no complaints." he then got up. "I know you have just returned, but I may have some instructions for you later on. Please standby for them."

"Understood." Sayoko replied with a nod of her own.

Once more, Diethard regarded her, then turned and walked away without saying a farewell. As she watched him leave, Sayoko slowly brought her hand up from her side, where it had instinctively remained throughout the conversation, ready to draw a kunai at a moment's notice. Now she would be able to enjoy the park in peace.

* * *

**John Colahan Army Medical Center**  
**Pendragon, Holy Britannian Empire**  
**March 29th, 2025 a.t.b.**

After lying in a hospital bed for so long, Suzaku found it refreshing to be standing up again as well as dressed in his Knight of the Rounds uniform and blue cloak once more. In spite of the anxiety he still felt on the inside over the last few days, he hadn't felt more alive, and he made sure to take a moment to revel in it just before he took those final steps to the hospital entrance. It almost made him forget about his wounds, both the physical ones that were slowly but surely healing, and the mental ones that would likely never heal.

Despite any initial misgivings toward his condition on the part of the medical staff at John Colahan, it had not been long before his order of release had come through from the Emperor himself. Just after that, all memory of the previous night's episode, in which a fair portion of doctors and nurses found Suzaku laughing hysterically as his blood pressure rose to dangerous levels, was seemingly "erased" from the witnesses of that event, thus leaving no reason to keep Suzaku in medical quarters for much longer. Granted, the bruises he suffered from his fight with Kallen were still healing, but the doctors had stated he was well enough to reassume his duties as the Knight of Seven, which suited Suzaku and apparently the Emperor just fine. That also included piloting the _Lancelot_ into battle if required, which Suzaku had a feeling he would be doing soon enough.

Pushing that thought, as well as the other factors that it entailed, back for the time being, Suzaku exited the hospital and took his first steps into the evening outside. Immediately he saw a parked limousine with his chauffeur in the distance, obviously waiting to take him back to his current residence at Belial Palace or wherever it was Suzaku wanted to go, but his focus wasn't on him for the moment. Rather, it was centered on Bismarck Waldstein, who was standing in the walkway between the hospital and the limo, and was watching and waiting for the Knight of Seven intently. Knowing what was to come, Suzaku sighed inwardly but continued in his tracks toward the larger and far more imposing Knight of the Round. "With respect Sir Waldstein, I expected Gino and Anya to be the ones to meet me here, not you."

"And they were both quite willing to see you released Suzaku, but I requested to come in their place." Bismarck said, before gesturing toward a side path away from the limo. "Walk with me."

Though reluctant, Suzaku complied and came alongside the Knight of One as they both made their way toward the enlarged garden area of John Colahan Army Medical Center. Though it was meant to be a tranquil place for patients and visitors to relax within, there were no others in the garden at this time besides the two Knights of the Round. Thus, it was the perfect place to have a private conversation, which was what Bismarck intended.

"You've held an invaluable service to the Crown, Suzaku." Bismarck stated as they walked. "Though you have every reason to hate Britannia and lash out against it, you instead seek to establish peace and order through its conquests, while holding onto the honor and chivalry that is expected of a Round. Some would call you a traitor, but I at least consider you a man of honor and dedication to your cause."

"And yet…" Suzaku intervened, indirectly wishing Bismarck to state the point of this conversation.

"And yet…" Bismarck repeated, coming to a stop in front of the garden pond. "…I believe you are slowly descending into madness."

Suzaku arched an eyebrow. "And what evidence do you have to support this Sir Waldstein?"

"None that needs repeating here, as you know it yourself." Bismarck replied, his right eye gazing directly into Suzaku's own eyes. "I sense much darkness in you Suzaku. Anger, hatred, fear… you do well to hide and bury these feelings by focusing on your objective, but they still grow inside you as time passes on. Eventually they will consume just as they have so many others before."

Bismarck then turned away from Suzaku to face the setting sun. "The more you hold onto them, the more they will grow and overwhelm you."

"And what would you have me do?" Suzaku shot back. "These feelings you speak of are because of my mistakes; I cannot let go of them any more than I can forget about my past and my failures. In fact, they are exactly what motivate me to continue forward with my goals, so that they may not be repeated again."

"I am not saying you should forget the past Suzaku, I am saying you should move on from it. There is still time for that." Bismarck explained.

"I'm afraid that's impossible as well." Suzaku replied without emotion.

Bismarck frowned with disappointment. "Then you will never reach your goal Suzaku, and you will eventually become a monster, a bloodthirsty creature meant to be slain."

"If that's what it takes…" Suzaku stated once more. "If I have to abandon my gentleness and compassion to see peace brought forward, then I will only leave those weaknesses behind!"

"'Weaknesses'!? Fool!" Bismarck exclaimed with great fervor. As Suzaku was unprepared for the force and rancor of his superior's response, the Knight of Seven instinctively took a step backward to keep himself from falling. "Those which you call weaknesses are the source of your strength! Gentleness and compassion are what drive you and make you what you are; take those away and there is nothing left but violence!"

Bismarck's gaze once more pierced Suzaku's, and although Suzaku wasn't sure, he thought he saw the Knight of One's sealed left eye glow from behind its eyelids. "And if you ever become such a beast, I swear I will end you!"

A moment past between them, as Suzaku pondered what Bismarck's intentions were from that point on. However, upon seeing that his point was made, Bismarck allowed his face to return to its normal expression, before turning back to face the sunset. "Suzaku, in Arthurian mythology, Lancelot began as the most chivalrous amongst the Knights of the Round Table, and was considered by many as the closest to King Arthur. However, once he fell in love with Guinevere, the hatred he gained for himself and the crimes he committed became unquenchable. Eventually both that hatred and the acts he caused brought the downfall of both the kingdom he served and everything he cared about, including the king that he considered his friend."

This time Bismarck made a corner glance toward his subordinate, and was satisfied to find Suzaku understood what the Knight of One was really referring to. "This is my warning: do not follow Lancelot's example. As seemingly impossible as it is, you must not allow yourself to lose what makes you the noble spirit that stood by Princess Euphemia's side and sought to bring about justice in his own way. Because once you do, you will only destroy yourself and Her Highness' memory."

Though Suzaku still held doubts within himself, he reluctantly nodded to Bismarck. "Yes, my Lord." He replied and then continued. "Is there anything else you wished to speak of?"

"No, I've said all that was needed. I won't keep you any longer." Bismarck replied.

At that, Suzaku saluted his superior and then turned to make his way back. As Bismarck watched him, he sighed and looked at his reflection in the water. _And in the end, Lancelot was able to abandon his hatred, but by then it was far too late. He lived the rest of his days in hermitage, remaining in shame throughout._

He then watched as his face folded back into a frown. _Lelouch, if you truly care about him, you may have to kill Suzaku to prevent such a fate…_

* * *

**Location Unknown  
March 30, 2025 a.t.b.**

"Begin."

No sooner than that phrase had been uttered, the eight cloaked fighters in the room moved with the intent to kill the man in the center of the apparent arena. Immediately sensing their approach, Jeremiah Gottwald brought up his fists and prepared to defend himself.

With the speed of lightning all eight attacked, launching an array of punches and kicks. Jeremiah however remained where he stood, and nearly without effort blocked each attack with his arms, and in turn performing a myriad of counters. Then without any words, he broke his stance and came at one of the fighters. When he was close enough, Jeremiah jumped forward and brought his right knee out in front of him, smashing it right into the target's face with such force it sent him flying across the arena. One down, seven more.

When Jeremiah touched down, another attacker was at his right with his arm raised high to strike with a karate chop. Before Jeremiah could correct himself, the fighter brought his hand down for the kill, seemingly finishing the fight before it started. But then Jeremiah raised his right arm and grabbed his opponent's hand between his fingers, easily deflecting the blow that would have struck his head. He then knocked his attacker's hand aside and made a quick jab into his gut, causing him to gasp in pain and kneel forward onto the ground, completely incapacitated. Two down, six more. Jeremiah smiled and continued to fight.

As his next opponent attempted to take him down with a flying kick, Jeremiah reached out and grabbed his attacker's leg while it was still held up, and hoisted it into the air. With his balance completely taken out, the fighter realized he was now hanging upside down by an untold strength, looking up at Jeremiah's smug expression. Before the attacker could kick at him with his free foot, Jeremiah spun him around like a tornado, twirling the attacker around until finally sending him flying into the arena's edge. Three down, five more.

Seeing that going after Jeremiah individually was not effective enough, the fighters began to coordinate with each other. Three of their number came at Jeremiah, from the front, left, and right. The first to get to him was the fighter coming from the center, who threw a straight punch for Jeremiah's nose that was quickly parried with a forearm block. With his arm still pressed up against his opponent's, Jeremiah spun around until he was standing next to his opponent and facing the same direction, right in time for the second fighter that was coming from the left to run right up from behind and get smashed in the face by Jeremiah's right fist. Four down, four more. As that fighter dropped, Jeremiah turned to face his left. His first opponent was winding up for another attack, and the third one moved to support.

At those two, Jeremiah bent his left leg, leaned away to his right and brought a kick into his first opponent's ribs that sent him flying into the other like a bank shot on a pool table, sending both attackers away only to smash down into a wall. Six down, two more. As Jeremiah had to balance for that kick, his arms were out to his sides, perfectly positioned for the last two attackers to get a tight grip on and hold him in place. At first Jeremiah thought to shake them loose, but then decided to adopt a different tactic, one that caused him to grin openly.

In a surprising move, two golden blades extended out of the sleeves of Jeremiah's long coat, stabbing into either attacker's shoulder blades. The sudden emergence of pain caused them to cringe and abandon their holds, thus allowing Jeremiah to spin around and cut both blades across their upper legs. Both opponents fell to the ground after that, bleeding but still alive, with Jeremiah finishing his spin, then crossing his arms together and retracting the blades. The fight was now over with Jeremiah Gottwald's victory.

Immediately after its end, the sound of clapping came from the side of the arena. Jeremiah turned to see the sound's origin: a very portly bald man wearing a monocle over his right eye. "That was a very impressive performance, Lord Jeremiah! You managed to defeat them all in just over a minute!"

"Of course it was impressive Bartley…" Jeremiah replied as if it were fact. "Because it was like fighting infants. Are you sure these were among the best Crusaders the Order has to offer?"

"Yes, my Lord." Bartley nodded, just as medical staff began to appear to take the defeated away. "Grand Master V.V. personally selected them for this test, and said if you couldn't defeat them, you are not worthy of being the Order's new Grand Crusader."

"I'm sure he did, Grand Scholar." Jeremiah replied back before moving to the side to take a drink of water. Despite the fact that he was a cyborg, with much of his body having been repaired and restructured with biomechanical parts following his fated defeat at Narita, there were enough human organics left in Jeremiah Gottwald that he still needed water and other sustenance to continue function. After squirting a fair amount of water into his mouth, he swallowed and turned back to Bartley. "By the way, where is V.V. now? I thought he enjoyed watching these sessions."

Bartley shook his head. "I'm afraid the Grand Master is currently engaged in a meeting, likely that of the Masters' Council. He forwarded his apologies for being unable to watch."

"I see. Well, no matter then." Jeremiah replied with a shrug, as he thought with a smile. _Indeed, my strength has increased greatly over the past eight years. It won't be long now, before I am able to avenge my humiliation from so long ago…_

* * *

"So that's how it is." V.V. spoke while sitting on his throne in the middle of the Order base, addressing the line of black holographic monoliths before him, each one symbolizing a Master of the Order and each one marked with a Roman numeral over a purple colored, downward fitched cross pattee insignia (the Order's sigil) to identify them by. "With Jeremiah as the new Grand Crusader, we will have an experienced militia commander that is both dedicated to our cause and totally opposed to our enemies."

"I do admit his capabilities do make him a valuable asset Grand Master…" the monolith marked 'III' stated, his voice digitally distorted to keep his identity concealed. "But as a leader of the Crusaders, are you sure we can rely on him? It was due to his ineptness in Area 11 that cost him the fight against Zero."

"And yet _before_ Zero came along, Jeremiah Gottwald was one of the more successful commanders in Japan. Surely his reputation before the Orange incident is worth considering." the monolith marked 'IV' replied.

"Only if we were fighting against conventional military forces, not those that employ Geass." the one marked 'VII' said.

"What I'm wondering is what happened to the previous Grand Crusader?" the one marked 'IX' inquired.

"Do you truly have to ask that question? The Order does not take kindly to repeated incompetence." the one marked 'V' retorted.

"How very Britannian. And I suppose when Gottwald inevitably fails, we'll reduce him to ashes as well, along with all the resources the Order invested in his augmentation?" the one marked 'VIII' replied.

Before anyone could answer that question, V.V. tapped the side of his throne, causing silence amongst the council. "That is enough. As Grand Master of the Order, it is my decision that Jeremiah Gottwald is to lead the Crusaders. Right now, however, we have more important things to discuss, namely the remaining Code Bearers and the Black Knights."

"What about the Code Bearers? There are only four left, one of which is in very close reach." the one marked 'X' exclaimed.

"If you are referring to C.C., she will be more difficult to obtain than you believe." V.V. retorted with fact. "Need I remind you all that she has been able to elude the best of the Order for entire centuries? And worse she is being protected by Britannia's Black Prince, the same man that led the Imperial Army to victory in Africa. Paired together, they make dangerous opponents, even for us."

"And I suppose that's where Jeremiah and his 'unique' Geass power come in?" the one marked 'III' spoke up again.

"Part of it. For now however, we should focus on capturing the remaining Code Bearers and leave C.C. for last. I believe you have the known locations of at least three?" V.V. inquired toward the monolith marked 'XII'.

"Yes, Grand Master." the digitized voice behind the monolith answered. "It took a fair amount of string pulling, but my country's intelligence services have narrowed down the locations of E.E., L.L., and I.I. All three are within countries that encompass the European Union, at least for the time being."

"Very good. You may dispatch whatever forces you deem necessary to apprehend them." V.V. explained.

"At once Grand Master." 'XII' acknowledged.

"If I may be allowed to speak for a moment…" the one marked 'II' at long last spoke up, drawing the attention of the other Masters and V.V. "I'd like to focus back on the matter of Zero."

"What of it? We'll just send the Crusaders to put an end to him and his rabble." retorted 'V' with cynicism.

"While I believe Jeremiah makes an effective counter to Geass, I have my doubts about him facing Zero on the tactical level. Just as well, the Black Knights that will fall under Zero's command have proven themselves to be a venerable force with their siege of the Imperial capital; a direct confrontation between them and the Crusaders would not bring about satisfactory results." 'II' explained.

"And I suppose you have a better solution to this problem?" 'X' demanded.

"I believe so. In order to defeat one such as Zero, I recommend that we send out one who can think like him." 'II' stated.

Though it seemed that the others were unsure of what he meant, V.V. smiled at the suggestion. "You're suggesting that we send the Grand Inquisitor to hunt down Lelouch, and perhaps capture C.C. as well."

_"That brat!?"_ 'IX' seethed. "Whatever intelligence and cunning he may possess, he is far too unstable and uncontrollable. To be frank, I would rather place my bets on Orange than him."

"I agree with my colleague." 'IV' stated. "Gottwald is one thing, but the Inquisitor is an entirely different force of contention. It was bad enough to bring _him_ into the Order, but to send him after Zero...that is truly playing with fire!"

Suddenly, the sound of laughter could be heard emanating from the monolith marked 'XI'. "I actually _like_ the idea of those two going against each other in a grand melee. At the very least, it is a daring tactic to utilize."

"What are you…!?" 'III' began to speak again.

"Silence." V.V. commanded simply once more, again silencing the gathered Masters before any conflict could form. He then looked over at the 'II' monolith. "I must say that is...an original idea to say the least. But I believe I share similar doubts here; there are too many variables to consider."

"With respect Grand Master, I believe most of those variables would take care of themselves in such a battle." 'II' replied, continuing to speak. "And if not, you cannot disagree that the Grand Inquisitor is the _perfect_ knight to send after the black dragon that is Lelouch vi Britannia."

This indeed piqued V.V.'s consideration, though there was no way for any of the Masters to know. "And I suppose I can rely on you to support him if the worst were to happen?"

"Of course." 'II' acknowledged.

"Excellent." V.V. smiled, once more knowing that the Masters were unable to see it. "With that settled, this meeting is hereby concluded. You may return to your duties until summoned again. _Pro Salus_ _Vir._"

_"Pro Salus_ _Vir!"_ the different monoliths chanted, which translated into 'For the Salvation of Man'. Then one after the other, the monoliths disappeared as their time was done, all the while V.V. remained reclining on his throne.

But just as the one marked 'II' was about to flicker out, V.V. instinctively raised his hand. "Just a moment." At that command, the monolith remained. "You do realize that your plan will arouse the Emperor's ire by nature."

"And I trust you will be able to keep him in line." 'II' replied.

"I certainly will." V.V. smirked a little. "But if I know my dear apprentice, he may prove to be a handful yet."

"Actually, I expect the same, but it doesn't matter. As long as it serves along with the completion of Ragnarok, 'His Majesty' will have no basis or reason to question the Order's motives, or yours." 'II' explained.

V.V.'s smirk grew. "You have thought this out well." He complimented. "Just as I would have expected from you."

"Indeed." 'II' answered. V.V. knew the man was flashing a grin of his own. "_Pro Salus_ _Vir_, Grand Master." And with that, the monolith vanished with the others, leaving only V.V. to remain.

* * *

**Kawashige Inn**  
**Naha, Independent State of Okinawa**  
**March 30, 2025 a.t.b.**

_"Happy Birthday!"_ the gathered party guests, all Black Knights that Kallen had fought alongside with regularly including selected members of Zero Squadron, shouted out as one while raising their drinks toward the redhead standing amidst their number. Answering them, Kallen raised her own _awamori_ glass to them and took a drink as everyone cheered. Though she was not a social drinker by nature, she made exception for this time alone.

Originally meant as an inexpensive hotel for those visiting the Okinawa islands, the inn had been transformed into a housing complex for survivors of the Devastation, leaving many of the more tourist or traveler oriented rooms abandoned from lack of use. All that had changed in the last few hours, with the main community hall in Kawashige Inn being completely refurbished by the Black Knights for the sole purpose of celebrating the birth date of one of their own. With her comrades knowing that Kallen wasn't the most sociable of party guests, only those closest to her were invited, ranging from the original members of Naoto Kouzuki's resistance movement to Tohdoh and his Four Holy Swords, along with the members of Zero Squadron. Beyond that, the only person that Kallen did not know so well was Ohgi's wife Viletta, who had tagged along if only to be with her husband.

As for Kallen herself, she still had mixed feelings about celebrating her birthday, but for the time being she put those aside and focused on the moment. Right after she took her drink and somehow managed to hold it down without vomiting, the crowd began to chant _"Speech! Speech! Speech!"_ much to Kallen's annoyance. Sighing in defeat, she eventually gestured for someone to hand her a microphone, before she began speaking to the crowd.

"Thank you, thank you." Kallen smiled, feeling every bit like a clown in the middle of a circus act, but treading onward anyway. "You'll have to forgive me if I'm not any good at this. I can fight off a knight giga fortress, but I can't give a speech to save my life."

A fair amount of laughter followed, signifying to Kallen that she was doing fine so far. "As I look around to your faces, I can't help but think of how much time has passed. Some of you have been with me since the beginning, back when my greatly missed elder brother was leading a small but dedicated resistance against Britannia; some of you came to know me years later upon the initial formation of the Black Knights as well as Zero Squadron; and the rest of you became my comrades in recent years, after the Devastation left both Japanese and Britannian alike abandoned and without hope."

She gazed out at the faces and saw they were still listening intently. "I'm now twenty-five years old, but in truth I feel much older, like I've lived several lifetimes at once. I've lost friends and family alike, both to our continued war and to other causes, and at times I myself wished that I died with them. But each time I thought that, I remembered all of you; friends and comrades, all fighting for the same goals as myself and Naoto.

"As long as we're all fighting together, focused on our common objective, I feel that I have enough reason to live on, to survive and see another day. I feel the need to continue fighting for the rebirth of my home country and justice for the weak who are oppressed by the strong. I feel it necessary to, against all of my fears, put on my pilot suit and step into the _Guren_, knowing that the moment I launch into battle, I may or may not survive. And above all else, at the end of the day, I feel that, even if temporarily, I have something to return for: a home with a family waiting for me."

Once more, she raised her glass to those gathered, who followed suit as well. "Though none of us know what will happen beyond this point, I promise I will go forward without hesitation, alongside all of you, my remaining family! _Kanpai!_"

_"Kanpai!"_ the others echoed, before taking a drink.

Once more, Kallen managed to drink it all down without gagging. It didn't help that she felt like throwing up after making such a speech, even if she had been speaking from the heart. _This must be what Lelouch feels like after giving one…_

She paused in her thoughts at that, again dwelling on the dark haired man with the scarred left eye, still locked away in the heart of the _Ikaruga_. Accompanying that image was a nagging feeling in Kallen's stomach, which she had to fight to keep from overtaking her. The feeling had been the same one she felt at the Emperor's Jubilee back in Pendragon, and it had only resurrected itself every time she tried mustering up the courage to break the ice between her and Lelouch since; she still had been unwilling to see him, much less ask him about certain things that weighed heavily on her mind. And yet, in spite of her reluctance, she felt as though she regretted his not being there, to enjoy the celebration alongside her with the rest of the Black Knights.

With those feelings came her concern once again, namely over his current condition. As Ohgi had put it so delicately, Lelouch was a wreck and a shadow of his former self; the battle over the pacific brought him out of his shell briefly, but it didn't take long for him to revert back to his previous condition. Overall, she was starting to think Lelouch may never return to being the man he knew him best for, a thought that made the nagging feeling in her stomach take a darker turn. And upon that line of feeling, she saw once more that despaired gaze he wore upon seeing his Geass reactivated and memories restored, causing her heart to nearly fold into itself.

_Why do I end up feeling like this every time I think about him…?_ Kallen wondered, not sure what it signified. _Either way, I can't let it affect me now…!_

Though it took a good struggle, she managed to force the feeling back from her mind, instead focusing on the moment. Now that the party was in full swing, she quietly began to make her way toward the edge of the room, where the buffet was, hoping that if only for a few moments she would be left alone.

* * *

**Black Knights air battleship **_**Ikaruga**_  
**Air Harbor 01, Independent State of Okinawa**  
**March 30, 2025 a.t.b.**

It had been a full day, and yet Lelouch had not done too much through most of it. With little to do already, he decided to sleep in through the morning, before browsing the web and playing a few online chess games, using untraceable connections of course, and now he was looking over random computer files, specifically photographs. Apparently when the Black Knights had taken over Ashford Academy for their headquarters during the Black Rebellion, they had copied the school files into their own server, if only to aid in keeping track of the various students during the occupation. By some miracle, that data had survived and had been copied into the _Ikaruga_'s databanks for Lelouch's private use. He wasn't sure, but he had a feeling Kallen had something to do with that.

It was eight years later, and yet Lelouch never felt as much time go by as he did now, looking over those old photographs. He saw pictures of the random parties and school festivals Milly would throw while dragging the student council into aiding in their setup. He saw a shot of himself on Rivalz's motorcycle, about to drive off to a chess game while Shirley was running in the background to stop them. Another displayed several random students running down the halls in hordes, as if it had been some kind of hunt; apparently that picture had been taken when Arthur had got caught in the Zero mask and Milly had declared a "cat hunt" following that, with the prize being a kiss from the student council. Lelouch couldn't stop himself from smiling a little at that; they were all good, happier times, even if many of them took place during his rebellion.

And then he came across another picture that made him stop in his tracks, with the smile drifting away from his face. The picture depicted himself and Suzaku standing beside Nunnally in her wheelchair, the blind and disabled girl smiling at the camera brightly as her brother and her best friend looked onward like a pair of royal guards. There was no unique background beyond the Ashford Academy rose garden, nor had it been taken during any special event; it was as subdued a shot as one could make it. And yet such a simple picture threatened to move Lelouch to tears, as for the first time in eight years, he had seen his beloved little sister's face, even if it was a digitized image.

With some hesitance, Lelouch reached out and placed his finger tips over Nunnally's image, pretending that he was touching her cheek again and brushing away any of her light brown hair that flowed over her face, while she turned to face up at him lovingly. He remembered how she was everything to him, even now, and how, just as Sayoko had said, he had set out to create a world where she could live in peace and possess no fear of the outside, where there was no constant threat of death for being the children of Marianne vi Britannia and where their monster of a father could not reach. Where she would be eternally happy.

For a moment, Lelouch wondered if Nunnally would have supported him in his crusade had she known it was all for her sake. Would she have accepted his gaining the power of Geass and donning the black mask and cloak, as well as declaring war on their home nation? Would she have cheered him on while he led the Black Knights against the Imperial Army, with Suzaku and the _Lancelot_ on the other side? And would she have forgiven him for having to kill Euphie after she was corrupted by his power? He gritted his teeth and forced that thought back, as he didn't want to even consider it at this time.

But regardless of what Nunnally would have thought of him, he had continued on with his quest. Just as he had told Kallen in Port Yokosuka years ago, he had to continue on regardless of the consequences or the unspeakable atrocities he left in his wake, as if he stopped all of that death and suffering would be meaningless. He went forward, not caring whether he was remembered as a savior or a monster, as a hero or a villain, because he knew it all needed to be done. For Nunnally's happiness, and the happiness of all others.

And now, Lelouch knew he had to continue on once more, that he had to once again take up the mask and lead the charge against injustice. He had made his decision just a day ago, when he announced to those that were listening that he was Zero and that he had come to save them all. There was no way to take that back now, nor was there a way to dissuade the Black Knights as they looked upon him to lead them to victory. No, no matter where he looked, his path was set.

Yet his heart remained heavy and his mind filled with doubt. He knew he had the skills and brilliance to do what was expected of him, but he needed more inner strength, more drive to perform his duties without the memories of his past sins to hold him back. He needed to see what the world would look like if he did not choose to fight.

For that reason and others, Lelouch dug into the pocket of his uniform pants and brought up a cellular phone.

* * *

**Kawashige Inn  
Naha, Independent State of Okinawa**  
**March 30, 2025 a.t.b.**

Just as an impromptu stage band, made up with Tamaki on lead guitar, Sugiyama on background guitar, Minami on the drum and Inoue as lead singer began to play out a random selection of Kallen's favorite songs, the birthday girl managed to slip away from the crowd and into the buffet table. Quickly dispensing her _awamori_ glass, Kallen quickly grabbed an empty one and filled it with Pepsi from a nearby dispenser, and then began making her way through the buffet table.

"My, who knew the Red Dragoness would have possessed a silver tongue?" C.C. spoke as she came over to where Kallen was standing. Unlike the _Guren_ pilot, the witch didn't seem to mind any of it. In fact, if Kallen had to guess, she would have surmised C.C. was in her element when it came to celebrations and mingling. "Though it was nothing compared to one of Zero's speeches, you actually managed to get me to applaud your effort."

"It must have been good if I'm getting compliments from you." replied Kallen as she continued to stack on food. "I don't suppose you were a gifted speaker in a past life too."

"…Maybe." C.C. gave her 'for-me-to-know-and-you-to-find-out' smirk. She then turned back to serious after looking over Kallen's face. "You look troubled Kallen, and not from having to talk in front of a couple dozen people."

"What concern is it of yours?" Kallen asked as she placed a piece of cake on her plate.

Though the tone of that question was rather cold, C.C. didn't seem bothered by it. "Well, we are bound by contract, and it would be a shame for you to get depressed and commit suicide before you are able to fulfill your half."

"Heh." Kallen smirked back in response, and then turned serious again. "I feel guilty, like this is all a grave injustice. Here I am, having survived to turn twenty two, while so many had died much younger than I am now, never able to celebrate their own twenty-second birthdays like this. It feels like…"

"Like you're dancing on their graves." C.C. surmised.

"…Yes." Kallen acknowledged shamefully.

C.C. sighed, as the feeling was quite familiar to her, for obvious reasons. "I know this will sound strange coming from me, but the dead do not hold grudges. Your friends and family would only want you to live on and be happy Kallen, just like those that are gathered here."

"I know, but it's not easy…" Kallen replied.

"It never is." C.C. acknowledged solemnly. "And the more years you live on, the more difficult it will feel to justify your survival when those around you did not."

Kallen looked at C.C. with narrowed glance. "I thought you were supposed to be cheering me up, not making me feel worse."

The witch merely shrugged. "What are friends for?"

Before Kallen could reply, the sudden sound of a phone ringing echoed between them. At first, Kallen thought it was hers, but she stopped when C.C. reached in and pulled her phone out of her dress pocket. Upon seeing the name on the caller ID, her eyes widened a little bit, and the witch became a little quicker to put the phone to her ear. "Hello?"

"Meet me onboard the _Ikaruga_ in fifteen minutes." Lelouch said simply, before quickly hanging up his end.

C.C. looked a little perplexed at that, but decided to follow those instructions anyway. "Looks like I'll have to leave early. The Antichrist requests the pleasure of my company."

Kallen wasn't sure what she meant by _that_ reference, but it sounded important. "I'll go with you."

"No, stay here. This is your party, and they would all feel something was wrong if you were to disappear like that." C.C. said, gesturing at the other party guests. "Don't worry. I doubt this will take too long."

The witch then turned and made her exit before Kallen could ask what she meant by that last statement.

* * *

**Black Knights air battleship **_**Ikaruga  
**_**Air Harbor 01, Independent State of Okinawa**  
**March 30, 2025 a.t.b.**

When C.C. entered into the Devil's Den, she found Lelouch lounging on one of the benches, twirling the black king chess piece absentmindedly between his fingers. This prompted her to look over toward the chessboard on the table. As she expected, the previously evenly positioned pieces were now scattered across the board in different areas, as if Lelouch had been playing a game all this time with an unseen adversary. Strangely however, there were no pieces taken off the board, aside from the black king that was in Lelouch's hand, yet many on the black side looked perfectly positioned to strike against their white contemporaries.

After a moment without any words exchanged, C.C. finally spoke up. "You better not have called me here to play chess Lelouch." she stated, pretending not to know why she was there. "I'm missing cake for whatever it is you dragged me away for."

Upon hearing her words, Lelouch stopped twirling the black king and placed it back on the board, where it was positioned directly in front of a white knight. He then got up and looked C.C. square in her golden eyes. "I want you to show me Tokyo Settlement, as it is now."

C.C. looked back with an arched eye. "You know you can't leave this room, much less this ship, and it would be difficult to navigate through the ruins at this time of…"

"I didn't say I wanted to go there physically." Lelouch replied with an edge, displaying that he didn't have the patience for excuses. "You can use your powers like that can't you? I saw you do it with Suzaku at Narita…"

"That was a different situation, and besides I had no control over whatever it was he saw during our contact." C.C. explained. "Just as much as I wouldn't have control over whatever it is you'll see."

"I don't care, I'll take the risk." Lelouch spoke with finality, letting his face soften a bit but remaining serious. "I want, I _need_, to see the remains of the past, if I am go into the future. I can't go forward without looking at what was left behind."

For a brief moment, C.C. studied him just like she had after he was "liberated" from Britannia. Back then she had claimed to have been taking him back into memory, but now it appeared as though she were trying to find any sign of hesitation in his form, to see if his demand was absolute or if he was secretly having second thoughts. Lelouch cringed a little underneath her gaze, but that was the only reaction he had.

Not finding anything, physically or spiritually, astray in Lelouch's form, the witch relented. "Very well, I can see that I have no choice. But remember, I can only show you the door; I can't tell what you will see on the other side once it's opened."

"Just get on with it." Lelouch demanded, fully ready to take the leap.

With that, C.C. held her hand out and grabbed onto Lelouch's, just as the Code on her forehead began to glow…

* * *

It was a scene out of hell itself.

What was once one of the most prosperous cities in the world now remained in crumbled, charred ruin. Rock, metal, and debris littered the ground, in tremendous colossal heaps as far as the eye could see, made up of the remains of great towers and railways, long toppled down and broken. What had once been living spaces had now been transformed into fractured and decayed remnants, while their interiors only held semblances of the comfortable housing they provided to their owners. The scents of metal, fire and dust had long since merged together to create a foul odor that could only be described as "destruction", a pungent stench that could be picked up by the body even if it were not drawn in.

Above, the sky was black with little light if any passing through the clouds. Lightning cracked the sky and thunder struck like a whip right after, both dancing their terrible tango across the heavens only to add to the horrible devastation below. And amidst their dance, fire and ash rained down upon the land, the remnants of the sakuradite that had been utilized to create the Devastation of Japan.

Just like Dante Alighieri upon being presented the Gates of Hell, Lelouch looked upon what was before him and despaired. Never had he seen such destruction and death in one place; even the ruined village that he, Suzaku, and Nunnally had been forced to walk through on their way back to the Kururugi Shrine, the one that had been littered with corpses and decay, could not compare to the ruins that he gazed over. Beside him, C.C. stood close, much like noble Virgil to both indirectly comfort him amidst this horrid wasteland and to act as his guide to wherever he wished to go. But for the moment Lelouch paid no attention to her, instead moving forward, one step at a time, toward despair.

"I never wanted this…" he murmured, his voice dry of hope and spirit, like a sinner realizing the depths of his crime. "I never meant…"

Lelouch then felt as his foot nudged against something on the ground. Looking downward, he crouched and picked up the object, which was flat and metal. Knowing it wasn't simple debris as it was perfectly squared and held indentations across its surface, he ran his hand over it and wiped away the dust. And then in an instant, Lelouch froze in his movements, too horrified to move further. The object was a plaque, and it read "Ashford Academy – 3378 Montgomery Lane, Tokyo Settlement, Area 11", while holding the familiar Ashford family crest upon its center.

Mortified, Lelouch dared to look up over the plaque to the ruin ahead of him, trying to find any semblance of the school that he and Nunnally had attended during their exile, the institution established by Reuben Ashford as a means for his family to live on after they lost their nobility, as well as Lelouch's last true home. But he saw none of it, just twisted beams of metal and rubble. What had once been grand and majestic Ashford Academy, was now ruins upon ruins, completely merged with the rest of the blackened city.

In a fit of sudden rage, Lelouch roared out to the heavens, his cry surpassing that of the thunder above, while he drove his fist into the ground. The impact he made indented itself into the Earth, which had been greatly softened from the explosions and result shockwaves, leaving his own mark into the remnants. And although pain shot all the way through his arm, Lelouch ignored the feeling, as he was too concentrated on his fury for it to affect him, all the while tears streamed from his desperately shut eyes.

The fury he felt was quite familiar to him, as he had felt it many times before, and silently he despised himself for forgetting its touch. He had felt it when his father exiled him and Nunnally from the only home that they had known. He had felt it a second time when Britannia waged war on the land that sheltered them, depriving him and his sister of their home once again, along with many, many others. He felt it a third time, when Suzaku betrayed him to his father for a cheap promotion and a naïve dream. And now he felt it again after so long, as he wept for the innocents who had been lost in this single act.

"This isn't what I fought for in Nunnally's name!" Lelouch cried, his fist digging deeper into the earth.

"No, it's not." C.C. said, gliding like a specter over to where Lelouch was hunched, gazing down at him. "This is what awaits humanity should you turn your back on what you began in Shinjuku. This is the end result of what would be, should you leave the Earth in the hands of lesser men, who know nothing of compassion and only seek dominance. This, Lelouch vi Britannia, is the hellish future of all mankind, should you refuse to retake your stand."

Lelouch looked up again, but instead of despair upon his face, only rage remained at C.C.'s words.

At that, C.C. began to pace around him. As she did, her mind flashed back to Washington and his words to her; at long last, she finally understood the full meaning of his premonition. "So what will you do now, knowing that you hold the fate of the world in your hand? Will you embrace cowardice and throw yourself under the nearest rock, only to come out when the dust settles? Are you going to run and hide like a frightened rat as the same atrocities are repeated over and over again?"

"Run…?" Lelouch snarled under his breath, his fury deepening such that his shoulders began to shake.

"Or are you going to do what you set out to do in the beginning and bring about the needed change to everything, just like the hero you masqueraded and pretended to be?" C.C. stated, returning to her original position.

Lelouch didn't respond with a verbal reply at first. Instead, he reached his right hand over and grabbed a nearby rock, which he believed was one of the fragments of Ashford. Then slowly, he rose up and turned around to face C.C., his eyes alight with a rage that made the surrounding ruin look tranquil by comparison. He then started to move toward his self-proclaimed partner, almost in a marching fashion, while C.C. continued to watch him.

"I understand now…" Lelouch began to speak as he continued to walk step by step. "It was not I who rained fire upon this land and its people. It was not I who was wrong from the beginning… It was the world."

His hand trembled around the shard as he continued speaking. "The same world that took away my mother, blinded and crippled my sister and threw us into the unknown is the same world that robbed Japan and so many others of their freedom and liberty, and then obliterated those who dared stand against its judgment. It is this world that needs change, and I will be the one to change it."

He stopped once he was nearly face to face with C.C., who remained stoic. Now his whole body trembled as his fury reached out to every portion of his flesh, threatening to erupt just like the forces that turned Japan into a wasteland. "Like fifteen years ago... C.C., like I said before..."

C.C. could see the fire slowly grow with intensity in his eyes as he continued to speak. "I will destroy this world distorted by that twisted nation... I will destroy this endless cycle of impunity and injustice... I will destroy all traces of _that man_ until history itself denies his existence... I say it once more... I will...!"

The fragment crumbled in his grip as his rage finally erupted into one declaration.

_**"...DESTROY BRITANNIA!"**_

* * *

**Kawashige Inn  
Naha, Independent State of Okinawa**  
**March 30, 2025 a.t.b.**

Ohgi had just finished relieving himself of all the _awamori_ he had consumed, and was just about to make his way out of the men's room and back into the party when he felt the sudden vibration of his cellphone. At first he thought about ignoring it, since he was thoroughly enjoying the party; the only incident that occurred was when one of the members of Zero Squadron attending, Rikichi Shirogane, got drunk and went on a tirade about how the Black Knights should only be comprised of Japanese, as all Britannians were lower than scum and "not fit to be fighting on the side of justice and righteousness". Fortunately before a fight could break out between him and the Britannians that were attending, Viletta was able to knock him unconscious with a well placed blow to the back, and then Alfred and Charmelle quickly carried him out the back. The celebrations resumed since then without incident.

However, as his cell continued to vibrate, Ohgi decided he would answer just so he could tell whoever it was on the other end that he was busy and did not want to be called. And if the other guy kept it up, Ohgi was happy enough to tell him to go do something anatomically impossible. Thus, he fished out his phone, not bothering to look at the caller ID, and stuck it in his ear. "This had better be a good one." he stated in an annoyed semi-drunken slur.

"Ohgi." the voice on the other end said simply and directly, in a velvety smooth tone that even with as much alcohol as he had consumed, the Black Knight General had no problem recognizing.

His drunkenness disappearing like a puddle of water under the sun, Ohgi slipped further back into the building until he was far away from the others, and then adopted a far more serious tone. "Lelouch? Is that you?"

Lelouch ignored the question and went straight to the point of the call. "In a half hour, assemble the central members of the Black Knights in the _Ikaruga_'s briefing room. I don't care if they're all in a drunken state, I want everybody there."

The General had to fight himself to keep from getting too anxious. "What is it you intend to do?"

The resulting laugh on the other end was the same dominating laugh Ohgi remembered Lelouch using against the Britannians so many times. "Isn't it obvious? I intend to wage war on Britannia, and I want to explain my plans to you and the others in detail. Or is this unsatisfactory to you?"

At that, Ohgi felt his eyes light up. "No, no! I'll get everyone onboard the _Ikaruga_ by…" he quickly looked at his watch. "2033 hours, no later than."

"Good." one could just feel the smile on the other side. "And one more thing Ohgi…"

"Yes?" Ohgi replied, listening carefully. Even so, he had no way of anticipating the sudden ray of hope that would enter him following what Lelouch said next.

_"From now on, you will refer to me as Zero."_

* * *

TO BE CONTINUED…

**Author's Notes:** And finally, I present what everyone has been waiting for: the _true_ return of Zero! I can just hear the cheers from the imaginary crowd now. Anyway, before anyone says anything, yes I know in the real world Nostradamus stated that the King of Terror would come during the seventh month (July), but for the sake of the CG universe I changed it to December of 1999. I'm sure readers can guess the reason why.

And on the first part of the story, I want to be very clear: I am a full blooded American patriot and I firmly believe in what my country stands for, in the past and in the present. I do not, have not and never will believe that America's creation was a grave mistake, and despite its faults and flaws to the modern day, I still hold it as one of the greatest nations ever created.

That being said, it has been established officially in _Code Geass_ canon that "Washington's Rebellion" was lost because Benjamin Franklin was bought by the Duke of Britannia with the title of Earl and a large amount of wealth and land. As such, he never made his fated trip to France to enlist French aid in the revolution, which besides costing the Continental Army manpower and professional military leadership prevented the chain of events (namely the Battle of the Chesapeake) that led to America's victory. Naturally as a self-proclaimed full blooded patriot, I, along with several other readers, consider the idea of Franklin being a traitor not only insulting to his legacy, but also impossible without ulterior reasons; during his last trip to Great Britain, Franklin was openly ridiculed and humiliated by the British government for trying to negotiate the repealing of the trade restrictions, excessive taxing and outright exploitation of the British American colonies. Therefore, Franklin lost no love for Britain, or in this case Britannia, when the revolution came about.

And finally, for the second to last scene, the background theme is "Trisha's Lullaby" from _Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood_. It's recommended that you play it while reading, as I can't think of a more befitting song for a scene such as that.


	12. Chapter 12: Rebellion Anew

"_In peace prepare for war, in war prepare for peace. The art of war is of vital importance to the state. It is matter of life and death, a road either to safety or to ruin. Hence under no circumstances can it be neglected."_  
- Sun Tzu

**Chapter 12: Rebellion Anew**

**Black Knights air battleship **_**Ikaruga**_  
**Air Harbor 01, Independent State of Okinawa**  
**March 30, 2025 a.t.b.**

The natives were getting restless, as the ancient cliché went. It all began thirty minutes ago when on his return trip from the bathroom, Ohgi firmly stated that the party had to be ended prematurely, and that the Black Knights' central command and flag officers were to hold an emergency meeting onboard the _Ikaruga_. He did not present any reasons to the bewildered guests for these orders, nor did he answer any questions presented at the party hall; he merely repeated the order once more and added on in his most "commanding" voice he would not repeat it a third time. And now, a half-hour later, the key members of the Black Knights were all sitting in their usual places in the _Ikaruga_'s briefing room, all looking very aggravated and impatient for having to hold a meeting so late at night.

"Man, this sucks!" Tamaki bellowed for the fourteenth time, summarizing the thoughts of everyone present in his usual manner. Most of his frustration came over the fact that things were going well between him and his date, Ayame Futuba, at the party; it had taken some effort on his part, but he had managed to get past the _Ikaruga_ weapons operator's usual timid nature and was about to draw her in when Ohgi burst onto the scene and ruined everything. "What the hell are we doing here anyway Ohgi!? It's too late at night for this crap!"

"I'm sorry, I was requested not to divulge that information at this time." Ohgi replied as he sat, arms crossed and looking as though he were waiting for something. The fact he was speaking in his General-of-an-Army tone didn't help matters much either. Even Viletta, who had invited herself to the meeting and was now sitting next to her husband, was confused as to why he was acting this way.

"Requested!? You're a goddamn General and the Vice Commander! Why the fuck are you taking requests for!?" Tamaki retaliated, patience running thinner with each passing moment. "Did Kaguya put you up to this!?"

"It's how it is Tamaki. Unless you want to sit this out, I suggest you keep quiet and wait like we're all doing." Ohgi replied, closing his eyes to gain some form of temporary relaxation. He wasn't too happy with having to wait either, but he was willing to put up with it considering _who_ ordered him to do it.

"Don't fucking tempt me…!" Tamaki snarled at how Ohgi was acting all "General-ly" on him, even if he did only have the rank of a Major.

"You're not helping the situation by making empty threats and outbursts, Major, so I recommend you follow the Vice Commander's orders." Diethard spoke from the side, as his head rested on his clasped hands in wait. He hadn't been at the party, but he had been summoned out all the same by a mysterious phone call claiming that "the birth of a new era was about to commence" or some such. Notably out of all of them, he was the only one dressed in his Black Knight uniform, which displayed his rank as a Colonel.

"Shut up Diethard! I don't care how you got dragged into this, but I don't need to take shit from you too!" Tamaki continued to ramble, just as the rest of the present company continued to ignore him.

From her spot, Kallen stifled a yawn as she fought with herself to stay awake. Though the party had been in her honor, it still tired her out to the point that she swore to herself she would not attend any more social events for a while, aside from weddings and funerals of course. Now she wanted nothing more than to go home, take a shower and climb into her comfortable bed, but unfortunately it seemed _Kami_ had other plans for her, as usual.

_I just hope C.C. doesn't cause too much trouble while I'm away… Damn it, wasn't she supposed to not take too long?_ she thought dazedly, trying her hardest to keep her head up.

And then somewhere in the middle of her retracting consciousness, a certain realization poured into her mind. With newfound energy, her head bolted back up with her eyes widened, only now understanding what C.C. meant by the "Antichrist" reference that had been lost on her earlier. _It can't be…!_

"Fuck this, I'm going home!" Tamaki at long last got up from his chair and began to make his way toward the door. Momentarily closing his eyes from exhaustion, he did not see that the door had opened before he got to it, nor was he able to detect the sudden cold shock that visibly swept over the other Black Knights as they saw who was standing there. "What the hell can be so important that it can't wait 'til tomorrow anyway!?"

**"_Everything_, Major."** a dark and metallic sounding voice answered, swiftly and directly despite the rhetorical nature of the question. At that, Tamaki snapped his eyes open again and upon seeing what everyone else was gazing at, stumbled backwards and landed on his butt while his face wore a mixture of amazement and unrestrained surprise.

There, in the middle of the doorway, stood Zero, freshly returned from the dead and looking very ready to pick up where he had left off. Wrapped in his familiar black cloak and donning his mask, he appeared every bit the phantom that those assembled remembered him by, with the only change made was his original body suit being replaced with a more militarized uniform, consisting of a black and gold outlined longcoat with the familiar ascot, equally black trousers and freshly polished military boots and gloves. If one looked closely enough to that ensemble, he or she would notice that Zero's new attire bore a slight resemblance to the Knight of the Rounds uniform, namely the Knight of One's unique design. Standing right beside him, C.C. looked back at the others with an amused smirk stretched across her face, enjoying the great myriad of reactions the assembled Black Knights held toward the return of their leader.

Behind his mask, Lelouch allowed himself a moment to scan over the faces of the Black Knights' higher command, the same men and women he had taken under his wing and organized from a mere terrorist splinter group into a full resistance movement. Aside from Ohgi and Kallen, this was the first time in eight years he laid eyes upon any of them, and he wanted to memorize every change possible, from Tohdoh's goatee to Sugiyama's slightly narrower face, with the Druid System implanted in his mask performing its duty of scanning over each of them and forwarding their physical and operational data to Lelouch. As he continued to look over them, he was mildly surprised to see the tan-skinned, white haired Britannian woman he encountered at Shinjuku amongst the group and next to Ohgi, even more so when the data window on his mask read her name out as Viletta Ohgi, but for the moment he decided to pay it no matter.

After the moment ended, Lelouch casually strode around Tamaki, who scrambled to get up and back to his seat, while C.C. took her own place. The former prince then came over to what he presumed to be his own chair at the head of the table and took out a flash drive from his uniform's pocket. Instead of sitting down, he slipped the drive into the built-in data slot and watched as the screen at the end of the room flashed with the incoming data. The Black Knights watched this silently, their eyes never leaving the screen as a current world map spread across it, designating Britannia's current territory in blue and EU territory in yellow, with the lands that were unaffiliated left in white.

"As you are all aware…" Lelouch started, purposely ignoring the unspoken questions of those before him, as he walked around to stand next to the screen. "The world has changed greatly since the advent of the Devastation. Britannia has become far more aggressive than it had been with Japan, forcibly annexing the Chinese Federation into Imperial realm and invading and conquering the European Union on nearly all fronts. Currently Britannian territory encompasses over sixty percent of the world and is growing with each passing day. If it continues to maintain its rate of advance, then I estimate the Empire will conquer EU and the remaining free world in just over a year's time."

That last part especially seemed to elicit a general dreading reaction from the assembled Black Knights, even when they had known most of what Lelouch had just said. Regardless, the former prince continued with his briefing. "And in the middle of all this, Britannia has continued to maintain its resources and logistics, not suffering from the normal setbacks created when fighting a long term conflict. In fact, it has actually managed to _expand_ its military to a size and overall capability not seen throughout human history, while its enemies in Europe continually regress in virtually every level. What does this tell you?"

"The Brits are always buildin' their fancy armies. How's it any different now?" Tamaki inquired, a little more subdued from before but still irritable.

Tohdoh on the other hand, was seeing where Lelouch was going with this. "Because Britannia lost their main sakuradite source when they destroyed Japan, yet they're still able to manufacture sakuradite-based weapons and technology. And since Japan also had the largest natural reserve in the world, there can only be one explanation for this…"

"You don't mean…!" Sugiyama exclaimed at the realization.

"Correct. The Britannians have found a _new_ sakuradite center, perhaps multiple new centers." Lelouch continued to explain. "And because they are able to maintain the same level of production since the Devastation, this new source would have to be the same size as, or even larger than, the entirety of Japan's reserve."

For a second Lelouch allowed that knowledge to dwell upon the eyes of those assembled before him, but then moved straight along when certain parts of the map became highlighted in pink. "These marked points are every sakuradite field known to the modern world. The largest is the Wrangell reserve in Alaska, which is estimated to hold at most one-thirtieth of Japan's natural supply. This indicates two undeniable facts: first, Britannia's new source has been kept secret from the rest of the world, and can be virtually anywhere. Second, they had to have discovered it approximately twenty-five years ago or even sooner, which means that they have long since established proper facilities and transportation back to the mainland."

"Shouldn't you know where it is, since you're a prince and all?" Tamaki asked with honest curiosity, speaking another question for the others, who wondered the exact same thing.

Lelouch looked back at Tamaki with a hard gaze, but he knew he had reason to ask him that and so answered. "Unfortunately, this new source has been kept secret even from much of the Royal Court. And as I was a frontline commander totally uninvolved in the research sector, my knowledge of such secrets was deemed unnecessary."

"Excuse me." Ohgi interrupted. "I don't mean to doubt your estimate, Le—_Zero_, but why do you figure that they had discovered the facility no later than twenty-five years back?"

The masked man turned to Ohgi with narrowed eyes behind his mask. "Because, even before the Second Pacific War, Britannia held a similarly high production level that started at the turn of the century and grew larger in the next decade; Japan's conquest added to it, but marginally, indicating that the Britannians were not as reliant on Area 11's source as they claimed to be. As well, this is the only logical explanation as to why Britannia was willing to setup Operation Nero without fearing the loss."

"Wait, you're saying Britannia conquered Japan when they _already_ had a major sakuradite source?" Minami looked livid at the whole prospect. "That the Britannians did it just to be the 'evil empire'!?"

Lelouch actually laughed at that one with the same villainous laugh many knew him for. "You sound so surprised. Have you forgotten Japan's role in the Oriental Incident prior to the Second Pacific War? Rather than risk going to war with the European Union or the Chinese Federation at the time, the Emperor obviously chose Japan to serve as the sacrificial lamb, and then proudly display its head to all as an example of what becomes of Britannia's enemies."

That one struck a lot closer to home with those present, including Viletta. Not only did it remind everyone just how vindictive and merciless Britannia could be, but it also explained why Operation Nero had been implemented in the first place; if Britannia was not at risk of losing the sakuradite it so cherished, then why keep a free Japan around for other nations to gain access to it? It also went along with Schneizel's strategy over the pacific of making a show out of the _Ikaruga_'s destruction and the Black Knights' final stand, something that did not comfort the current company in the least.

After another minute of contemplating this, Tamaki spoke up again. "So, uh… what do we do about all this?"

That made Lelouch smirk. "In order to defeat Britannia in the coming war, we have two central objectives. One, locate the secret sakuradite reserves and either capture or destroy them, crippling the Empire's production capabilities beyond repair, and two, trigger a worldwide revolution against Britannia, uniting her enemies into one centralized force with the Black Knights at the head. From there…"

The screen shifted again, zooming directly over Britannia itself and displaying several arrows and dots. It didn't take much to realize that this was a plan for invasion of the Imperial homeland. "We strike at Britannia itself and end its tyranny, _permanently_."

Needless to say, that last part made every head turn and eyes look up, just like Lelouch's declaration eight years ago to establish a new nation in Japan. Though that plan had long since failed, the Black Knight leaders were not deterred, and certain hope began to expand within them. As impossible as it sounded, the prospect of not only striking back at the Empire but destroying it entirely was far too good to pass up, and with Zero leading them once more, it just may be possible. Even Tohdoh couldn't resist flashing a sinister grin at the whole idea.

But still, there was some amount skepticism among them, as Chiba proved a moment later. "And how do you plan on creating this force? During the Insurrection, the Black Knights were looked down upon by the rest of the world as a splinter group. Even if we were to announce our presence to the world again, no one would join our flag."

Despite the inquisitive nature of that statement, Lelouch remained resolute. "Indeed you are quite right Chiba. At the present time, the Black Knights would be viewed at best as an anti-Imperialist revolutionary movement and at worst as a terrorist organization, with both cases looked upon as completely outmatched against Britannia. To call the world under our banner would be pointless now. However…"

The screen flashed again, showing the rest of the world once more and dividing it up into individual states, both Areas and European sectors. "As I stated eight years ago at Narita, even messiahs need to perform miracles in order to be acknowledged, and we will do just that once again. But instead of merely harassing Britannia through parlor tricks and stage acts, this time our miracles will be the world wide liberation of the Areas and breaking Britannia's hold on the world. For this purpose, we will aid local rebels and whatever remains of the former governments, so that once the Imperial regimes have been eliminated, we may establish proper democracies."

In a fluid motion, he waved his arm at the screen. Moments later, individual territories began to flash from blue or yellow to purple, moving from the East Asian coast westward. "One after another, we will grant freedom to the lands that the Empire had long since conquered as well as restore hope in the eyes of their peoples. Soon after the world will no longer be able to deny us, and the Black Knights will be recognized as a major power and the one hope in man's salvation from everlasting tyranny!"

And then finally, the last territory, Portugal, flashed purple. With the exception of Britannia, the whole world was displayed under the Black Knight's colors. "Only then will the armies of the world come together before us and swear their allegiance, in the hope of our delivering the final blow to our hated enemy! And only then, will we march on Britannia herself and, like the Red Dragon to the wretched Whore of Babylon, make her suffer grievously for her iniquities!"

Lelouch was now breathing heavily behind his mask, though the others failed to pick up on it. "And in the end…" Lelouch continued once more, his voice now becoming calmer. "We will establish a new future for all of mankind, and with it worldwide peace and stability."

And once more, those assembled stared in awe as their legendary leader was now fully among them again. Diethard and Tamaki both looked ecstatic, while Sugiyama, Inoue and Minami all wore looks of astonishment, as did Asahina and Chiba. Tohdoh, Senba and Urube each smirked the devil's grin, while Ohgi was once more amazed beyond words at the boldness of the masked revolutionary's plans, with Viletta and Kallen both wearing a similar look to that. Even C.C. herself gave a secret expression of approval toward her "partner".

Entirely satisfied with the collective reaction he was receiving, Lelouch decided to move onto the next stage. "Now then…" he said, reaching up to his mask.

For the briefest of moments, nobody dared even breathe as Lelouch removed his mask and slowly revealed his face. At first those who had sidearms instinctively moved their hands over them, but they were soon relieved when Lelouch opened his eyes and revealed that he had kept his contact in place, subduing his Geass.

"It is true." Lelouch spoke from behind his veil, which remained in place over his mouth and chin, in a dark tone that barely concealed his disgust at what he was about to say. Combined with his scar, the veil made him look akin to a Koga ninja from Feudal Japan. "I am Eleventh Prince Lelouch vi Britannia, son of Emperor Charles and Empress Marianne and _former_ seventeenth heir to the Holy Britannian Empire. With that known, if any of you do not wish to follow me, then say so now. Otherwise, you will only have these options: live with me in victory, or perish with me in defeat."

With that declaration, Lelouch once more scanned the faces of those gathered, with his eyes visibly turning to each and every one. But no matter who his eyes would fall into contact with, they did not respond or object to him. Instead, each one remained silent, giving their answer through their lack of response as well as visibly showing their preparedness for whatever he had in store next. It only took a second for Lelouch to see this, and then move onto the next one. After going around the table and seeing the same gaze from each and every present individual, the exiled prince nodded.

"Very well then." Lelouch replied with closed eyes and a smirk, slipping his mask back into place. "Now then, before we can proceed, we must proclaim our presence to the world once again. And for that purpose, I give you Operation Tsunami…"

The screen shifted once more, centering on one of the Sandwich Islands, specifically Crusoe, then zooming further until it halted over the island's southern coast. Even before Lelouch spoke its name, everyone recognized what was there. "…our strike against the pacific basin of Pearl Harbor!"

"Pearl!?" Minami glowered in shock. "That'll be suicide!"

"Pearl Harbor is the headquarters of the Britannian Pacific Fleet!" Sugiyama exclaimed as well. "Even if our own entire force were up and running, there is no way we can attack it and come out in one piece!"

"Oh?" Lelouch replied with an inquiring tone. "And somehow Pendragon was a much easier target?"

"With respect, Zero…" Ohgi began again. "We were able to hit Pendragon solely because we had the element of surprise. We won't have that again if we attack there."

"On the contrary Ohgi, we will have the element of surprise in this battle as well, albeit with a different set of tactics. And as for numbers, we will only require five ships and their knightmare forces, specifically the _Ikaruga_, _Akagi_, _Hiei_, _Ryujin_, and _Isonade_." Lelouch explained.

"One battleship, two cruisers, two submarines and just a couple hundred knightmares against all of _that_!?" Chiba looked on in amazement. "Sugiyama's right, that is suicide!"

"And don't forget their air fleets, like the one we fought before! Once the base sends out word they're under attack, we'll be completely surrounded by their pacific groups as well as fleets from the mainland!" Inoue added.

"Isn't there another target that…!?" Minami began to state.

"No there isn't, and it must be done!" Lelouch bellowed, silencing all of them at once. "The strike against Pendragon was a decisively well executed attack. It was perfectly timed, left no chance of counter from the enemy and created significant damage to Britannia's command structure as well as psychologically traumatizing its citizenry. But there was one fundamental flaw in that strategy…!"

Though they couldn't see his eyes, the Black Knights could all sense the fire behind Lelouch's gaze. "You fought under the guise of terrorists, and were therefore regarded as such by your adversaries! This battle is meant to correct that mistake; not only will we be showing the world that we still exist, but we will also prove to them in one fell swoop that we are not, and never were, mere rabble!"

Lelouch once more waved his arms out. _"We are, and always have been, Knights of Justice! And by our deeds, humanity will never forget again!"_

Once again, nobody dared question him after such a declaration, as they could see the exact importance of the operation and, should it succeed, the effect it would have on the world; even Pendragon seemed tame by comparison. Though there was still hesitation, the Black Knights once more remembered their achievements in Japan, when with only a handful of resources they very nearly liberated their country and brought an Empire to its knees, all because of the leadership and direction of the masked man that was before them. There was little doubt that, through that same leadership, they would be able to do exactly the impossible once more.

Seeing that his words were well delivered, Lelouch knew that now was the best place to end it for the time being. "For now however, I need you to return to your homes and rest. Once we begin our new crusade, you will have very few opportunities to be with your friends and families, and though it is my intention for each and every one of you to live through the end of all conflict, some of you may never return. Enjoy these last moments of peace, but remain on standby for my next summons."

He then looked over at Diethard. "Colonel Reid." Lelouch spoke his rank to show his recognition of it. "I will require you to establish a meeting between myself and the Okinawan government, as we will need their full support in our endeavors. As well, you are to organize a public assembly for the announcement of my return."

Far too excited over the prospect of the Black Knights beginning a totally new campaign under Zero's charge and how it would shape the world, it took a moment for Diethard to (barely) compose himself and nod in response. "Yes Zero. It will be done!"

"Good." Lelouch replied simply, before turning around and exiting before any more words could be said. With their leader's last orders ringing true, the rest of the Black Knights were quick to follow.

* * *

**Heracles Palace **  
**Pendragon, Holy Britannian Empire**  
**March 30, 2025 a.t.b.**

Dawn was close. Bismarck could feel it within his exhausted form, as he stood in the middle of his training room, shirtless and covered in sweat from the "training session". He imagined he had been there for hours, courtesy of the apparent insomnia he had gained for that night which prevented him from resting. But he paid it no heed, as even the mighty Knight of One and Avenger of Britannia needed to exercise to keep in shape.

Clutched tightly in his hands, his mighty broadsword Durandal now felt even heavier than usual, signifying that Bismarck was nearing the end of his energy and wakefulness. But even so he kept his hold on it, and then after a moment of catching his breath he began to swing it around with a mixture of power and grace one would not have thought possible. In his mind he saw himself surrounded by multiple opponents, and with each swing he struck one or more down with a deadly cut that would have cleaved a real man in two. Each attack and each imaginary parry was mechanically precise and timed, fulfilling their purpose and leaving no unnecessary movement that would open Bismarck up to a counterattack. It would have been a truly majestic sight to behold, had anyone been there to witness it.

But at the same time Bismarck did not practice simply to hone his phenomenal skill with a blade; it was only during this state that he could calm and focus his mind with ease. In his current state, he found himself contemplating his role as the Knight of One, the most powerful and honored knight in all of Britannia. Such power and prestige had been his ambition ever since he joined the army in a time long ago, along with many others of his caliber; it was only through his own strength that he prevailed and was rewarded justly for his deeds when the others fell short. Yet, that ambition stayed with him even when he became the Knight of Five, especially through the reinforcements of his superior and mentor: Lady Marianne Lamperouge, the great Flash of Britannia and the former Knight of Two herself.

Bismarck remembered how, like many before him, he had fallen in love with Marianne the moment he saw her, even though he had known of her closeness to then Prince Charles. She was majestic and possessing of a fiery nature previously unseen, yet lacked the traditional arrogance that came with her high position, something that some suspected came from her commoner background. Even more so she was seemingly gifted at everything she endeavored in, from military and political strategy and hand-to-hand combat to "lesser" activities such as horticulture and horseback riding, while her deeds were no less valiant. She was heroic and chivalrous, yet caring to those around her and willing to fight to the death for her beliefs or her loved ones. All of these factored in to the knight Bismarck admired and strove to surpass from the beginning, in spite of the impossibility of it.

As great as his own deeds were in the present however, Bismarck still did not truly feel that he was as good of a Round as she had been. Certainly he performed his duties of safeguarding the Emperor as well as fighting Britannia's enemies firsthand when he was called to battle, but compared to her spirit, the great Bismarck Waldstein was clearly inferior. It was vexing at times feeling that inadequacy, and more often than not Bismarck would find himself wondering how Marianne, who had been his "mere" subordinate at the time, would react to a given situation. Just as he was now with the coming of the Black Knights.

Bismarck frowned at the mere thought of that inevitable fate. The Black Knights had succeeded in reclaiming their Demon King, and it would not be long before they declared open war on Britannia with Lelouch leading them, it was only a matter of where they would strike first and when. And even though it all fell in with the Emperor's plans, Bismarck had little doubt that he would eventually be sent in to outdo his former student in the field of battle, something that he was not looking forward to at all. As the Knight of One he knew it was his duty, but that didn't make it any easier to fight against the young Prince that he had taken under his wing and looked upon like his own son.

_But he isn't my son…_ Bismarck thought as he swung his blade, almost derisively. _He's anything but my son… Just another brat with an axe to grind against the established order, and to top it off he wasn't a good student…_

As he swung his blade, the Knight of One's mind went into a duel of its own as it labeled each point about the prince, an attempt to "psyche" himself up to the possibility of fighting his wayward student. At the same time, the shades began to mysteriously dissolve around him save for one, which began to alter in shape and form as the fight progressed between it and Bismarck.

_He was lazy and uncouth…_ He swung, his opponent evaded. _…yet held great honor and virtue._

_He chased women without relent…_ He slashed, his opponent parries. _...yet never let any of them get in the way of his duties or lessons._

_He was rebellious and never showed proper respect to those above him…_ His opponent thrusts, Bismarck parries. _…yet he never held his own status above others and only drew their admiration through his grace, just like his mother before him._

_He was always questioning my instruction…_ He slashes, his opponent evades. _…yet he never challenged or disregarded me._

_He always hated protocol and never stopped trying to find ways to escape it…_ His opponent slashes, he guards. _…yet he never brought dishonor to himself or those around him._

_He was arrogant, snide and self-centered…_ He thrusts, his opponent evades. _…yet still capable of humility and compassion for others._

And finally, the accusing voice in his head screamed out, at such intensity that it caught Bismarck completely off guard. _He had a part in the deaths of millions!_

Instead of the opposing voice sounding out against that, an image flashed in his mind: the image of Lelouch holding a young infant, wrapped in a blanket and comfortably asleep, while the prince looked upon the child with a loving gaze. At that image, Bismarck felt his eyes widen and his hold loosen around Durandal, which slipped from his hands in midswing and ended up sailing into a nearby wall, where it embedded itself with a mighty "clang".

Silence reigned soon after, and the Knight of One could only stare outward while he breathed heavily, exhaustion at long last taking its course. Then after a moment, Bismarck sighed. _Ironic how I questioned what laid within Suzaku's heart when my own is filled with uncertainty._

Upon his thinking that, the sound of applause came from the nearby doorway. "If only His Majesty could see you now, my love. Especially that last part." a more feminine voice spoke up with irritation.

Bismarck froze and felt his eye close. "How long have you been watching, Dorothea?"

Standing within the arch to the training room, a dark skinned and long black haired woman dressed in a turquoise robe looked back at Bismarck. "Long enough." Dorothea Ernst, Knight of Four, replied with displeasure. "I know it's expected of the Knight of One to be the most powerful warrior in Britannia, but surely you see your beloved wife as a greater consultant for emotional issues than your sword."

"Heh." Bismarck smirked a little. "I guess there really is no fooling the wife." Though intentionally kept secret from the public, such that Dorothea kept her maiden name, the two Knights of the Round had been married for seven years and counting. That remembrance also brought another thing to Bismarck's attention. "I didn't wake Roland too, did I?"

"No, and thank God for that." Dorothea replied. "If there's anything our son inherited from you, it's your overbearing voice."

"I don't know. As much as I cried at his age, I was not able to shake an entire castle at its foundation." Bismarck replied, casually pulling Durandal out from the wall and placing it on a nearby rack.

By that point, Dorothea had come up to him and reached out to touch her husband's face. Though her gaze remained hardened, she now looked up at him with a twinge of concern in her eyes. "Please tell me what's wrong." she asked.

Bismarck couldn't keep himself from looking away as he spoke. "Just weariness at the idea of having to go to war again."

The Knight of Four was not fooled and she showed it with certain fury that made even Bismarck fidget uncomfortably. "You should know better than to lie to me, Bismarck." Dorothea replied with warning and a narrowed gaze. "It's Lelouch, isn't it?"

The Knight of One sighed. "I know if he becomes Zero again that he'll become our enemy, but no matter how much I wrap my mind around it I can't stomach the idea of having to fight him in battle."

Dorothea looked at her husband with some sympathy, her initial displeasure cooling. "It's inevitable. As Knights of the Round, it is our duty to defend the Empire from its enemies, no matter who they are or how just their cause is."

"I know. And as Knight of One, it is expected of me to lead the fight." Bismarck looked away again. "But I still have hesitation, and no matter how much I try I cannot put it at ease."

"You sound like you weren't expecting this." Dorothea inquired.

"I wasn't." Bismarck admitted. "I thought when the time came I would be able to march into battle and face my former student without pause."

"And that right there is your main error Bismarck." Dorothea stated, her tone still stern and forward. "You believed because you're the Knight of One you were beyond lingering attachments, when in reality you're still as human as the rest of us mortals…" at that, she sighed as her stern expression vanished and was replaced with a more comforting one. "Perhaps more so than most."

"What about you Dorothea?" Bismarck asked. "Do you feel the same way?"

That question was answered by the unease that came across Dorothea's expression. "Do you think it will be easy for me to fight the same man that held my child, _our_ child, so lovingly? As well as one of the few who saw me as human rather than an 'ill-bred mongrel whore'?"

As evidenced by her dark skin, Dorothea was not a full blooded Britannian; her mother was Kenyan while her father had a mixed Britannian-German heritage. The fact that the Knight of Four was more Kenyan than she was Britannian was not lost on others, especially those of nobility, which made Dorothea an open target for much of their xenophobia until Suzaku Kururugi's ascension to knighthood.

Lelouch had not been one of them, and when introduced to Dorothea he made no allusions to her heritage while treating her with great respect in regard to her being a Knight of the Round, the wife of his teacher and above all else a woman. Such unlikely courtesy had a profound effect on the Knight of Four, so much that she later allowed Lelouch to see her child, who had only been born months ago at the time, as well as to actually hold the infant Roland. It was a risky gesture as Roland did not take kindly to anyone but his parents holding him, but for some reason he did not awaken and cry out when Lelouch held him, instead remaining in the most comfortable sleep his mother had ever seen him in while the scarred prince lightly stroked his face.

Needless to say, Bismarck knew his wife held Lelouch in as much high esteem as he did, and it would probably pain her just as much to go against him despite the words she had just spoke. At that, Bismarck closed the gap between them and embraced his wife, holding her comfortably to try and sooth the pain she felt inside away.

"Bismarck… No matter what either of us feels on the inside, we have to go forward regardless." Dorothea began to speak again with some strength, just as she wrapped her own arms around her love. "For Roland, for Lelouch, and for the new world that is to come."

"I know." Bismarck said simply, understanding fully.

* * *

**Duchy of Uther,** **Area 1 (North America), Holy Britannian Empire**  
**March 30, 2025 a.t.b.**

Taking her total concentration, Cornelia managed to evade the concentrated stream of energy and fire back with her _Vincent_'s VARIS rifle. However, even as she fired three burst shots in a consecutive rate, her opponent zipped around them one at a time, and then counter attacked with another blast from its main weapon, forcing Cornelia back to the defensive. The Second Princess snarled at that; it was bad enough that she was out of practice, but it was even worse that her opposite number was living it up and shoving it in her face.

"Disappointing. Is this what has become of the mighty Witch of Britannia?" the other knightmare pilot chimed in a sing-song voice that was both upbeat and scathing to the target. She laughed at the pictured sneer Cornelia gave in response, before moving to attack again. "Maybe you should stick to bubbling cauldrons and leave knightmares to the real knights!"

"I don't want to hear it from you!" Cornelia hollered, kicking her knightmare into a flying dash and activating her left arm's needle blazer. It was a gutsy move, as her adversary's machine had been built specifically for close combat and in many ways was better at it, but the assault paid off as the other knightmare was forced to back away. It tried attacking with its hip mounted slash harkens if only to discourage Cornelia, but they hit nothing but air as the purple and gold colored knightmare veered to the right and put more power into its float system. By that point however, the opposing frame had regained the initiative and fired rapid energy pulses from its main weapon. Once more irritated at being forced back, Cornelia abandoned her advance and shot rearward.

"Temper, temper…" her opponent continued to chide on the Second Princess' nerves, before firing another full stream that the _Vincent_ barely evaded.

Cornelia then swapped her VARIS for her maser vibration lances, joining them together at the ends and charging at her opponent's knightmare. In a mad flurry, she slashed one of the blades against the other machine's weapon, which was also a lance, but one that was more akin to the _Gloucester_'s jousting lance. Even so, that weapon was on an entirely different level than anything Cornelia had faced before, as was the machine itself and its pilot.

"You'll have to do more than that little Princess!" Nonette Enneagram, Knight of Nine, replied as she threw back Cornelia's blade then attempted to slash back with her own lance, only for the _Vincent_ to evade. "You may have weakened yourself hiding in the capital, but I've only grown stronger all this time!"

Cornelia could only sneer back at both the Knight of the Round and her trusted black, grey and purple knightmare _Ywain_. Compared to other seventh generation knightmare frames, the _Ywain_ was something of an odd man out. Unlike other knightmares of its caliber, Nonette's steed was actually heavily based upon the _Gloucester_ in design and could be considered the seventh generation version of the unit. It had similar but more ornate and stylized armor, a similar head design only with the factsphere sensor replaced with an enlarged ruby colored T-visor camera lens and the same wing fins Cornelia had used on her previous machine, as well as its own unique float unit. However, while its design was not entirely new, the _Ywain_ possessed a performance level far beyond its ancestor and was even more formidable than the original _Lancelot_. A true monster of a machine.

For base weapons, the _Ywain_ was only "lightly" armed with a pair of hip mounted slash harkens and arm mounted needle blazers. Yet the knightmare's main weapon more than made up for that: the Heavy Maser Vibration Lance "Gae Bolg", a special lance made of the same advanced technology as the infamous Excalibur and so was also named after a weapon of legend, in this case the great lance of Celtic hero Cu Chulainn. Nonette had been awarded the weapon by the Emperor himself for her great deeds in the Crown's service, and even though this was supposed to be a mere practice duel, she used it against her former classmate now without relent.

Cornelia knew in terms of technological level the _Vincent_ barely compared to the _Ywain_. Whereas the _Ywain_ was a custom unit designed around the combat preferences of the Knight of Nine, the _Vincent_ was a mass production general purpose prototype that, through Cornelia's specifications, had a high-and-balanced performance level, yet still was not on the same level as a true seventh generation knightmare frame. The Gae Bolg only made the fight all the more difficult, as there was nothing in Cornelia's arsenal that could match such a weapon.

That all said, the only way Cornelia was going to win this fight was through her piloting skills, as well as taking advantage of Nonette's arrogance, though she had yet to figure out how.

The _Ywain_'s sudden burst into action brought Cornelia out of her ramifications, and the Princess sent the _Vincent_ in an intercept course, lance bared outward. Spinning the lance overhead, she brought one end down to force Nonette to deflect with the Gae Bolg, before switching back to her needle blazer and slamming it against the _Ywain_'s left shoulder. With a snarl of pleasure, she sent a mock burst against her opponent knightmare's arm, disabling it from the false attack; had it been a real battle, the burst would have severed the entire arm and perhaps even the float system wing. While that had not been the arm holding the lance, Cornelia felt some satisfaction in the fact she was able to wound the overly obnoxious Knight of Nine and bring her down a few levels.

"Not bad little Princess, but not good enough either." Nonette mocked as she jettisoned the dead arm from the _Ywain_. She then performed an imitation of Suzaku Kururugi's trademark roundhouse kick, which knocked against the _Vincent_'s head and sent the knightmare sailing to the side. At a fair distance away, Nonette set to (false) impale the violet knightmare on the tip of her lance, but Cornelia was quicker on the recovery and darted away before the attack could take place, once more drawing her VARIS and raining bullets neon green shots down against the _Ywain_.

"Oh the VARIS again! Can't you come up with something original milady?" Nonette continued to taunt, ducking around each shot as if it took no effort at all. "I almost feel sorry for you, having to be stuck in that pale imitation of the _Lancelot_ while your better is using a far more powerful steed!"

"For the love of god, shut up Nonette!" Cornelia bellowed as she continued her attack.

"Why? Am I getting to you 'Your Highness'?" Nonette snidely retorted. The Knight of Nine then countered with another barrage of energy shots from the Gae Bolg, forcing Cornelia to once more kick her thrusters into overdrive to evade them all. She now attempted to capitalize on the _Ywain_'s left flank, which was open without an arm to protect it, but Nonette was quicker in defending that area than Cornelia was in attacking it.

Suddenly, one energy burst knocked the VARIS out of the _Vincent's _hands fully, leaving Cornelia no other option than to attack up close. She managed to recover her balance from the attack in time and launched her right slash harken at close-range to put a nice sized dent in the Knight of Nine's armor. With an opening, Cornelia closed in with her lance bared, ready to strike and finish the match.

However, that was exactly what Nonette had been waiting for. As the lance descended over the _Ywain_'s torso, the Knight of Nine deftly shot its left foot up in a rising kick that knocked the lance off of its course, forcing the blade to strike only air. And before Cornelia could reangle her weapon or switch to another for a follow up attack, Nonette swiped the Gae Bolg around and fired another blast that, in an ironic reversal of Cornelia's previous attack, caused the _Vincent_'s left arm and left wing of the float unit to eject from simulated damage.

The end result was the _Vincent_ dropping out of the air and landing with a massive 'boom' into the desert floor below, though Cornelia had managed to use her remaining thrusters to limit the impact. Before she could get back up however, the _Ywain_ hovered down right in front of her and pointed its lance directly at the _Vincent_'s head. The match was over, and Nonette was the victor.

"Looks like victory is mine as usual, little Princess." Nonette staunchly declared, before letting the _Ywain_ touch the ground itself and withdraw the Gae Bolg. "Anyway, I meant what I said about your performance being disappointing. You won't be killing any BKs or Eurotrash with those paltry skills."

Cornelia sighed, also disappointed about her performance. "Have I really weakened that much?"

"Yes you have. This is what you get for staying out of the fight for these last few years." Nonette replied as she dropped the Gae Bolg tip first into the ground, then reached out to help the _Vincent_ to its feet. As the sun began to rise, the light reflected off the _Ywain_'s ruby visor as it looked back toward its comrade. "The Cornelia I knew would never have done such a thing to herself."

Silently, Cornelia chuckled at Nonette's accusation. "That's right…" she began to murmur, loud enough for her friend to hear her. "Eight years ago, a vital part of me died alongside Euphie, and what remained became a coward that thought she could hide in the capital while Britannia and the world took care of themselves without intervention."

Cornelia's eyes then flashed with resolution. "But now, that belief was undone on that one fateful night…" she continued to speak, her voice gathering strength. "…and after all this time, I finally have something to fight for again. That is why I must regain my old self, so that I may rejoin the fight and not runaway again."

"I understand, Cornelia. That is why I'm willing to help you in this." Nonette replied with more seriousness than before. "But at the same time, Euphie would not have wanted you to join this crusade."

"I know Nonette." Cornelia replied sharply. "Yet while I cannot honor all of my late sister's wishes, perhaps I can help fulfill her dearest one."

That earned a raised eyebrow on Nonette's part. "And which one is that, my dear underclassman?"

The Second Princess' only response was to close her eyes solemnly, as if she were resigning herself to something. "You will find out when the time comes."

* * *

**Black Knights air battleship **_**Ikaruga**_  
**Air Harbor 01, Independent State of Okinawa**  
**March 30, 2025 a.t.b.**

It was a strange yet all too familiar feeling Lelouch felt as he stood once more in his personal domain, hands clasped behind his back in thought. Though it hadn't been so long from the Japanese Insurrection, Lelouch couldn't help but feel he had forgotten the rush he always got whenever he donned that mask and cowl, which were now placed on the center table with his anti-Geass contact, and played the part of the devil. The theatrics, the dynamic speeches, the "dastardly" scheming, the tantalizing of the audience, it all left a lasting emotion in Lelouch every time he did it all, a combination of ecstasy and exuberance that was found in very few other things. It was an addicting feeling to say the least, especially after eight years of having to live without it.

_And to think, I wanted to throw this all away…_ Lelouch thought with a grin, once more remembering what it was like to be the Demon King with the Black Knights as his legion. Indeed he was at the center of his universe again, where instead of being the puppet prince leading a crusade against enemies of the state in a faraway desert, he was the revolutionary heading the charge against a large and tyrannical empire in the name of justice and liberation; a time honored role that had been held by many men and women in the past, whose deeds were recorded into legend so that future generations could hear of their exploits and aspire to them. On that last part while Lelouch did not truly care what humanity would judge him as in the future, it was exhilarating to think of himself in the same shoes as George Washington, William Wallace and Guy Fawkes: the singular cause for universal change. Surely, there was no greater standing in the history of man.

And yet while Lelouch was thoroughly enjoying being back as the Lord of Darkness, he would have been lying if he claimed there was no more reluctance in him. At the same time though, he was no longer blinded by his own self-hatred and doubt that he could not see the obvious truth: that the events of late were not his sins to bear, at least not alone.

Yes, he had indirectly caused the SAZ massacre that triggered the Black Rebellion, with the Devastation following thereafter. However, after careful consideration, Lelouch realized that the destruction of Japan was an inevitable event. While he did not have the full details, he did know Operation Nero had been implemented not long after the full establishment of Area 11, and that it would have been activated at any point the Japanese had gained enough strength to overthrow Britannian control. Thus, while the SAZ massacre was still his sin to bear, the blame for the Devastation laid squarely with Britannia, as it wouldn't have mattered who led the charge, whether be it his Black Knights, the Japan Liberation Front or any other anti-Imperial resistance. The end result would have always been the complete destruction of Area 11 to keep it from falling into enemy hands.

Then there was the SAZ itself. Lelouch could still feel pain inside of himself at the memory of his actions, but he also remembered why he had not been sold on the idea at the beginning. Aside from not being the true freedom the Japanese sought, as they would still be a puppet state under Britannian rule, the fact that the Empire would grant Japan special status would have likely been seen as a sign of weakness from the European Union and the Chinese Federation, which would only invite another foreign invasion just like Atushi Sawasaki's previous attempt. Should the invasion have succeeded, Operation Nero would still be triggered, and even if it had been repelled, it would have left immeasurable damage in its wake.

Just as well, he knew now that his initial guilt toward being Zero was misplaced. Even if he had chosen to stay his hand, that by some twist of fate he had chosen to die there in that warehouse or simply slip back to the safety of Ashford Academy instead of leading the counterattack against the Shinjuku purging, the world's current standing would not have been any different. Britannia would have continued being the "evil empire" as Minami put it earlier, war would still be rampant across the world and innocents would still continue to suffer. With that in mind, while he was far from guiltless, Lelouch understood now that he had actually made things out for the better, in that much like the opening of Pandora's Box, he had given Hope to the world. Hope amidst the unending suffering.

But once more, he was not totally without reluctance. Though Lelouch knew he had not caused as much damage as he initially believed, he knew that the potential was still there, that through Zero he could still cause permanent harm to humanity and the Earth that could never heal. He had to take steps to prevent that from even potentially happening…

The sound of the door opening without his authorization signaled that he was no longer alone, and the individual who wanted to see him clearly was not seeking permission. Lelouch smirked at that, as even without facing the intruder, he already knew who it was. "I was wondering when you were going to come here. You, who abandoned Zero at Kamine Island."

"Lelouch…" Kallen spoke in near seething. "You were deceiving me from the very beginning."

Lelouch chuckled at that as he turned to face her, and though she seemed to step back a little at the sight of his left eye, he continued to speak anyway. "About Zero being your classmate, or about my Geass power? Which one has offended you?"

"…Both of them." Kallen admitted softly with dismay.

"And yet, I did offer at one time to reveal my secrets to you, only for you to turn that offer down." Lelouch replied with fact.

Kallen's leer deepened. "That offer was meaningless. You knew what Zero was to me back then, and that I would refuse you."

Lelouch sighed a little. "You are correct in your assumption, but for whatever it is worth I would have revealed myself had you accepted."

Kallen paused at that answer, causing an uncomfortable silence to generate between them. Then she spoke once more. "I want the full truth Lelouch. No lies, no theatrics, no pretty words. Just a straight answer to the question that's been haunting me these last eight years."

"I'm listening." Lelouch answered.

The Black Knight ace's eyes narrowed as she spoke again. "…I want to know, did you use your Geass on me like the others? Did you twist my mind and my heart…" for a brief moment, her face cringed as if she were in pain. "…and make me follow you?"

Despite the intent of the question, Lelouch allowed his smirk to return. "And what if I say yes?"

"You bastard!" Kallen called out as she quickly drew her sidearm and took aim at Lelouch's head, her face twisted with rage.

And yet Lelouch was far from impressed. "Really Kallen? After all the effort you and the others went through to get me back, you're going to kill me here and now?"

"Shut up!" Kallen barked. Once more, she found herself staring into his eyes, in spite of the discomfort she felt when seeing the Geass alight in his left. "Tell me why I can look at your left eye and be unaffected just like I did that night. It means you used it on me once before, right? And that my mind established immunity against it while my memories were sealed? That's how your Geass works, right!?"

"And what of your own Geass?" Lelouch interrupted with certain disapproval underneath his tone. "Have you considered using it to find the answer you seek?"

Kallen's initial rage was soon replaced with shock at Lelouch's seemingly spontaneous knowledge of her own power. "…How did you know?"

"Your fight against Suzaku." Lelouch replied once more. "I am well aware of how Suzaku will act when the 'Live' command is active, and I know in a straight fight you would have been no match for him. Therefore, the only explanation as to how you were able defeat him was that you have a Geass of your own, and from the way you were able to match or exceed his movements at that stage, that yours is an extrasensory type."

Kallen wasn't sure, but she thought she heard a tinge of guilt in Lelouch's explanation, if only around the mention of Suzaku's "curse". After that however, a brief silence intervened, before Kallen closed her eyes.

"Yes…" she murmured, and then opened her eyes again to reveal her own Geass alight. At its activation, she was quick to "see" Lelouch's heartbeat speed up by a fair margin as well as the muscles in his body and arms tighten, signified by his folding his right hand into a tense fist. However, she said nothing about any of it and went on with her explanation.

"My Geass is the Power of Absolute Awareness." she said in a controlled tone. "With it I am able to 'see' beyond my normal senses for several kilometers at a time. Just using it now, I can 'see' both your outsides and your insides, from your heartbeat to your breath."

Suddenly, rage began to return to Kallen. "But even this power can't give me the answers that I seek from you…!" she allowed her Geass to fade. "It won't tell me why I'm immune to your Power of Absolute Obedience, or whether I follow you as a lowly slave or by my own will!"

"I understand…" Lelouch replied, looking sympathetic. Like it or not, he owed her that much, after everything he put her through then and now. "In that case Kallen, I will tell you the truth." he paused to formulate the right words. "Yes, I had used Geass on you at one time, but it was not the way you think. The command I issued was for you to answer a question you would not have answered otherwise."

Kallen froze at that admittance, clearly unsure how to react. "…what question was that?"

"'Why do you fight?'" Lelouch replied. "Be assured Kallen, your mind and your heart are yours alone, as was your loyalty and admiration for Zero." He then began to slowly walk toward her in defiance to her still having a gun on him.

"Don't move!" Kallen warned, gaining a better posture and aim.

Lelouch ignored the outburst and continued. "You should be proud of what you did. You decided, you made the choice."

Soon, the distance was completely crossed with Lelouch stopping once the gunbarrel was firmly pressed into his chest. "You chose…" he reached up and moved the gun away. "…Zero."

Overwhelmed by his proximity, Kallen reflexively took a step back, while Lelouch frowned. "You don't believe me?"

As if she were stung by that question, Kallen's eyes widened and twitched, as if she were about to cry. "I… I want to believe…" she murmured, trying to hold back the potential tears. "More than anything, I want to believe in you…"

"I see…" Lelouch looked on with pained sympathy of his own, feeling uneasy at the sight of his closest follower and friend in such a state.

"But…!" suddenly Kallen regained her strength. "That doesn't mean I'll forgive you for lying to me all that time!" she nearly shouted as she reholstered her gun.

"Well, fine with me." Lelouch let out, glad to see that didn't last long. That was when another thought occurred to him. "By the way…" he began, giving off his most fiendish smirk possible. "When exactly were you going to drug me? Before or after we had sex?"

In an instant, Kallen's face turned the exact same shade of red as her hair and as the _Guren_, while her expression became a mixture of shock, embarrassment and rising anger. _**"IT WASN'T LIKE THAT YOU PERVERT!"**_ she hollered.

"Really?" Lelouch replied innocently. "I don't remember you complaining when we made it up to my room and…"

_**"DO YOU WANT ME TO SHOOT YOU!?"**_ Kallen roared with the fury of her namesake, looking ready to carry out her threat several times over. _**"DO YOU **_**REALLY**_** WANT ME TO SHOOT YOU!?"**_

"Alright, calm down. I know you were just carrying out your mission." he replied, holding his hands up in mock surrender while still retaining his amused grin. That brought another thought to mind, one that drained away his amusement and replaced it with something resembling a frown. "Still, it must have been painful for you…" he looked up at her again. "The last eight years you had to endure because of my mistakes, as well as all the losses you personally suffered. And to top it all off, you had to go to all those lengths to liberate me from my false life, in spite of the doubts you've possessed for so long."

Then, much to Kallen's surprise, Lelouch gave what could have been an apologetic glance. "I can understand if you hate me for all of it Kallen. Really."

This only confused the _Guren_ pilot further. Wasn't this the same man that had openly mocked her feelings just a minute ago? Wasn't this the same man that admitted to heartlessly using her and her people eight years ago to her face? It didn't make sense that someone so unfeeling toward others, beyond the certain individuals that he personally cared about of course, could make such a declaration to her. Part of her wondered if Lelouch was deceiving her again, but another part of her, one that was more vocal, told her that there was something true in the exiled prince's words, enough that she could believe them.

Regardless of that however, Kallen allowed herself to respond, though she was careful to choose the right words. "Lelouch, there are a lot of things right now I'm not sure of…" she began. "What I feel inside of myself, what tomorrow may bring…"

Lelouch only continued to look on as Kallen gazed directly into his eyes. "However, in all those doubts, there is one thing I'm certain of to the absolute degree." she continued. "No matter what you have done or what you may have had a hand in, _I do not and never have hated you._"

For his part, the revolutionary leader was taken off guard at that, and though he did his best not to show it, his surprise still made it into his expression. And yet at the same time, a part of him felt as though he should have known that, as once more she had been his most devoted follower and his friend, even from long ago, the very last person in perhaps the universe that would show hatred toward him. After another moment, he closed his eyes and let his smile reform as he seemingly breathed a sigh of relief. "Is that so…"

Before either of them could say anything else however, the door opened again and snapped both back to reality, to which they turned to see C.C. casually enter.

"I'm sorry, am I interrupting?" C.C. observed with certain curiosity. Despite the apology, C.C.'s tone made it sound like she meant otherwise.

"No!" Kallen was the first to answer. "Lelouch and I were…!"

"What is it you want now?" Lelouch interrupted, unconsciously displeased by C.C.'s timing for some reason.

"For myself? Nothing. In fact, I was about to head off for the night." C.C. explained casually, pretending not to notice the tension between her and her two "partners". "But before I did that, I wanted to inform you…"

Lelouch looked on closely as C.C. finished. "…there's someone else who wants to meet with you."

"Really?" Lelouch let out, unsure of what to make of this. "Who?"

"I'm afraid I was asked not to reveal that to you." C.C. put offhandedly, seemingly enjoying keeping Lelouch in the dark. "However, the individual has requested you come to the roof of the Government Bureau at midnight. You'll be able to figure it out from there."

The former prince only groaned at the idea. As if he hadn't done enough for the night. "And if I refuse?"

"You would be unwise to do so Lelouch, considering you will need this individual's support for your next war." C.C. explained. "And with that message delivered, I'm going home." With that, C.C. turned around and exited as quickly as she had come in.

Both Lelouch and Kallen stood by as they watched her leave, wondering what exactly that was about. But then after a very awkward moment came to pass, Kallen shrugged her shoulders as well. "I guess I'll turn in too. I've had enough fun for one night…" she exclaimed as she made her way toward the door.

But before she could make her own exit, Lelouch reached out and grabbed her hand to stop her. The suddenness of the move alone made Kallen stop in her tracks, as well as cause a light red to form on her cheeks. "Lelouch…?" she let out in wonder as she hesitantly turned back to face him.

"Kallen…" Lelouch started to say, yet seemed unable to mutter the words at first as he looked away in his struggle to come up with what he wanted. Then, once he apparently mustered up the will to, he finally spoke again. "…thank you, for coming to save me."

Even Kallen couldn't contain the surprise she felt at that. She had truly believed that Lelouch did not want to be free, that the restoration of his memories only brought pain and regret to him, and yet here he was thanking her for bringing him back. Did that mean her beliefs had been incorrect, and that Lelouch would have wanted her to save him? Kallen didn't know, though at the least it seemed Lelouch did not hold anything against her for the deed.

While the inward shock made her stumble around a bit with her own words, she was able to reply to him, though not quite without some hesitance. "You're welcome… Lelouch."

Before Lelouch could respond any further, Kallen withdrew her hand and then quickly made her exit, leaving the prince-turned-revolutionary alone for the time being.

* * *

**Rakshata's Office**  
**Air Harbor 01, Independent State of Okinawa**  
**March 30, 2025 a.t.b.**

With as much energy as she could muster in her exhausted state, Rakshata surveyed the technical readout of the _Ikaruga_ for what felt like the millionth time that day. Assuming that her eyes weren't playing tricks on her, the readout showed that most of the major damage the Black Knight flagship had suffered over the pacific had been repaired; all that was left was fixing the small gashes across the outer hull and replacing any weapons and equipment that had been destroyed. At that, Rakshata felt certain satisfaction; though she was not as good with warships as she was with knightmares and medical equipment, she had managed to complete the bulk of her task in little over twenty four hours, a true accomplishment if there was one. She would have had one of her assistants pat her on the back for her, which she had in the past whenever she did something beyond expectations, which was often, but Sushil and Mahesh were not available for the action as they were on leave. She merely shrugged at that notion. "No worries, I will just take it out of their pay."

Letting herself drown in her satisfaction, Rakshata decided it was time for a small break from her work. As such, she let herself fall back on her recliner and absent-mindedly spun around to face away from the computer while her head looked up at the ceiling, where she began mentally counting the ceiling tiles. It was a unique relaxation habit she picked up while attending Colchester Academy in Britannia so long ago, back when she was an eager young Indian student who dreamed of majoring in medical cybernetics. That memory made her grimace, as it brought to mind her old "friends" Cecile Croomy and a certain four-eyed, grey haired Earl that had an addiction to pudding and a knack of getting on her nerves. In her annoyance at that last image, she unconsciously threw her right leg out. The next thing she realized, her foot brushed against the edge of a flat object and sent it flying off her desk and into a nearby wall with a small 'thud'. That caused her to straighten her position, as well as her eyes to widen in uncharacteristic shock at what she had just done.

Scrambling, Rakshata nearly leaped out of her chair onto the floor, where she grabbed the object, a small picture frame, and with an uncharacteristic obsessive energy, looked the frame over for any dents or cracks, and then the picture itself to see if she had damaged it in a way. Inwardly sighing in relief when she saw that there was no damage, Rakshata brushed her finger across the picture, which was that of a young tan skinned girl dressed in Indian garb holding up a lotus flower in her hand toward the camera. Her eyes softened further when she looked at the affection displayed in the girl's eyes. "I'm sorry Sati."

With more care than she usually displayed toward inanimate objects, she carefully placed the photo back on her desk, exactly on the spot it had been before she had kicked it over. At that point, a knock at the door sounded from the other side of the office. "It's open." she called out.

The door then opened to reveal a young Indian woman dressed in a Black Knights officers uniform with a lab coat covering it. "We've completed repairs to the _Guren Nishiki_, as well as the enhancements you requested." the woman smiled. "Your son is in top form now, Colonel."

"Daughter." Rakshata corrected.

The other woman looked confused. "What?"

"Daughter, Janni." Rakshata repeated again, looking quite annoyed at the fact she had to do so.

Her earlier jubilance now replaced with nervousness, Captain Janni Dakkar, Rakshata's personal aide-de-camp in the Black Knights' Science Corps, reached up to pull against her uniform's collar. "With respect Colonel, I thought all of your 'children' were males. Wasn't that what you told Major Inoue before?"

Rakshata eyed the younger girl as if she had grown a second head. "How long have you been working for me Janni?"

"You took me in a year ago ma'am." Janni replied with certain nervousness.

At that, Rakshata leered as if she should have known better. "Then you should know that particular child is my daughter, my _only_ daughter. You would think my personal assistant would be able to tell _that_ much."

The younger girl, though not having been in Colonel Chawla's command as long as others, knew better than to answer that with anything beyond an apology. "Of course ma'am. My apologies."

"Hmmm… Perhaps there is hope for you yet." Rakshata replied. That's when another memory occurred to her. "Were you able to forward my previous request to old man Bapu?"

"I did, but he does not understand why you would need five hundred tons of charonium transferred to this site." Janni stated.

"As if I have to explain anything to that old bastard." Rakshata stated offhandedly with some measure of annoyance. "Tomorrow morning, contact him again and tell him 'unless you want to be the puppet governor of Area 21 forever, do not waste my time with stupid questions and just send me what I asked for.'"

"Ma'am!" Janni blurted in amazement. "This is the Mahatma you're speaking of!"

"So? I wouldn't care if he was the Avatar of Shakti. I have absolutely no patience for old geezers that waste my time." Rakshata replied as she lit her nearby tobacco pipe and drew it to her mouth.

"But Colonel…!" Janni started to let out, the idea of having to talk down to the Mahatma making her sick to her stomach and her legs shake.

Rakshata rolled her eyes at the display. "Oh very well Janni. Just tell the geezer that 'Colonel Chawla wants to talk to him directly' and I'll bring him down a notch myself. In the meantime, get yourself home before you fall apart; I don't like assistants who complain about being overworked."

For some reason Janni couldn't tell whether her commander was being sarcastic or if she actually did care for her subordinate's well being. Regardless, she decided now was the best opportunity to leave before anything bad happened. "You should get some rest yourself ma'am. With Zero back and all, I'm sure we'll all be quite busy in the future."

"_I'll_ worry about my own mental and physical health, thank you Janni. Please don't make any more of a fuss as you go." Rakshata waved her off.

Taking her cue, the assistant left as quickly as she had come in, leaving Rakshata alone in her office once more. Stifling a yawn, she turned and regarded the picture on her front desk, and wondered what things would have been like if the person in that photograph had still been with her…

* * *

**Ohgi Residence**  
**Naha, Independent State of Okinawa**  
**March 30, 2025 a.t.b.**

As he knelt between the dual beds of his children, Ohgi felt a familiar feeling weigh on his heart: disbelief at how everything had happened the way it did. Had anyone asked him years ago whether he was planning to have a family, he would have laughed heartily at the idea, as his time as a terrorist would have kept him from settling down until Japan was properly freed, that is if he even survived. Eight years later Japan was destroyed, his people were driven into hiding and he was still fighting a seemingly impossible war, and yet in between it all he had managed to not only get married but have two healthy children. It was almost too good, like a dream; one that Ohgi knew he may willingly give his life for in the next few days, which had prompted him to come see his children as they slept in the first place.

With a little movement, Rukia stirred in her rest, turning over to inadvertently face where her father was kneeling. In response to this, Ohgi slowly brought his hand down and stroked his daughter's face, moving aside the black hair so that he could brush a fingertip against the tanned skin of her cheek. In response Rukia murmured incoherently as she snuggled in comfortably while, without waking up, bringing her face closer to allow Ohgi better access. Ohgi smiled at this and continued his activity, admiring how much his daughter, as well as his son, had inherited from their mother over him.

"You two take care of mommy when it's time for me to go." Ohgi murmured softly, shifting his attention from back and forth between the twins.

"Kaname…" he heard Viletta whisper from the doorway, low enough that the children wouldn't hear yet high enough that Ohgi would. Turning to peer back at the doorway, Ohgi saw Viletta standing there with a serious look on her face and what looked to be a file and some papers in her left arm. Sighing inwardly that he still apparently had things to do at that time of night, Ohgi got up, but not before kissing either of the twins on the cheek, and then walked back toward the doorway while making sure to close it once he was out of the room.

When he and Viletta made it back to the kitchen area, Ohgi's spouse seemed to keep her back toward him, which told Ohgi that whatever it was she wanted to talk about, it was important. _I don't like where this is going already…_ Ohgi thought, but somehow willed up the courage to ask the 'big question'. "What's on your mind Viletta?"

Knowing that there was no turning back now, Viletta turned around and presented a piece of paper to her husband. Ohgi was quick to notice the Black Knights sigil at the corner of the page, causing his stomach to knot. "What's this?"

"My notice of commission." Viletta explained. At that Ohgi's head snapped up, but Viletta continued anyway. "Two days from now, I will officially join the Black Knights as a Lieutenant Colonel and a knightmare squadron commander."

"What!?" Ohgi replied out of the sheer shock, his eyes turning from Viletta toward the paper, where he fast read its contents. "Who authorized this!?"

"General Kirishima. He owed me for saving his life after the Devastation." Viletta replied.

That only made Ohgi's disbelief quadruple in intensity. "You mean this was done by _your_ request!?"

Viletta closed her eyes as if she were about to brace for a tidal wave. "Yes."

"How can you even _think_ of this Viletta!?" Ohgi nearly bellowed, the shock turning into anger at how Viletta had callously thrown her life on the line. "Do you realize what you're doing!?"

"Joining the fight against my former country? Yes, I do Kaname!" Viletta shot back, beginning to gain momentum in the face of Ohgi's force. "In case you have forgotten my love, _I_ was a Britannian soldier once upon a time. Between the two of us, _I_ have had formal military training and a substantial amount of frontline experience. If you believe I am not qualified for the Black Knights, then I would debate how you got your position to begin with General."

"This is not about qualifications and you know it Viletta!" Ohgi replied staunchly and with force. "It's bad enough that I have to go out there and fight, but with you out there that means both of us are at risk! What would happen if we both died!? How would Ichigo and Rukia grow up without us to be there for them!?"

"If that happens, then they would grow up knowing that their parents both fought for their future!" Viletta replied in such a tone that stunned Ohgi momentarily. She tipped her head to conceal her eyes from him. "You told me that the reason the Black Knights continue to exist is to protect the future of those living here, so that they don't have to live in the world that you and I struggled in…!"

She drew closer to her husband, and when she looked up, Ohgi saw that her eyes were now almost pleading. "Don't you think _I_ have as much right to fight for our children's future as _you_ do!? That I, a former soldier, should be called out to battle just as you have!?"

"I don't know Viletta…" Ohgi looked away, his expression softening but now clearly in doubt. "I was hoping that, if I were to be killed, at least Ichigo and Rukia would still have their mother, but with both of us out there… I just don't like the idea of leaving them orphaned."

"I don't like it either Kaname." Viletta admitted. From her tone, Ohgi could tell the pain she was feeling at the idea of leaving her children behind. "But if it increases our chances of winning, then it's a risk we should both be willing to take. For Ichigo and Rukia, and for the other children whose parents are going to war."

Ohgi sighed, as he knew there was no arguing with Viletta any further now that her mind was already made up. Sure as Vice Commander of the Black Knights he could easily deny her commission before it could be officiated, but he knew that she would find a way to get around him anyway, even if it meant going all the way to Zero himself to get in. Therefore against all of the dread he felt inside at the prospect, he nodded lightly. "What's the squadron that you will be taking command of?" he asked.

"A force that I personally formed. With your permission, I would like it to be assigned to the 1st Mobile Assault Force onboard the _Ikaruga_." Viletta replied, holding up the file folder for Ohgi to see. On the front of the folder was a single insignia of a black shield that held a medieval mounted knight, its horse reeling upward while its left hand clutched a jousting lance. A banner underneath the mounted knight that read "Who Dares Wins" in Japanese kanji, while at the top of the shield was another banner with the kanji for "Kyuu Naitomea Sentai" (9th Knightmare Squadron) and at the bottom was the unit callsign "Kyosha".

Once more against the dread, Ohgi took the folder and opened it. _9th Knightmare Squadron "Kyosha"_. He thought as he read it all together.

At first he wondered why Viletta had chosen that designation, which was the Japanese title of the Lance in Shogi, as well as why the insignia was based around a clearly Britannian knight. But when he read the personnel listing a minute later, he realized the exact reason. "All of these names are Britannian."

"Yes." Viletta replied with a nod. "All former members of the Imperial Army. After the Devastation, these men and women became instructors and aggressor knightmare pilots at Ginowan, where they have been training new recruits in proper combat tactics ever since."

Though from their individual records Ohgi could tell those listed had all seen heavy fighting during their careers as Britannian soldiers, he still wasn't quite convinced. "How do we know that they're loyal to the cause?"

Viletta's eyes drew into a leer, causing Ohgi to realize his mistake only after. "How do you know _I'm_ loyal to the cause?"

Ohgi smacked his head in defeat. "I'm sorry… I didn't mean it like that Viletta."

The former Britannian soldier sighed. "It's alright. I guess in your position you should ask that kind of question, even if the answer's obvious." she replied. "Though they have different backgrounds, they all have one commonality: each one of those names has lost something during the Devastation, and as such they no longer hold any faith or loyalty toward the Empire. As well, they have all settled and gained attachments to Okinawa, with a few even creating families over the last few years. All that said, I can assure you General that they will fight for us to the end."

That brought another thought to Ohgi's mind. "How much experience do they have fighting in Chawla designed knightmares?"

"More than enough." Viletta replied.

"And you Viletta?" Ohgi questioned further. "Have you been properly fielded with our equipment?"

Viletta seemed hesitant at that. "I haven't had as much time in the cockpit as they had, but believe me when I say I'm quite familiar with the layout of an _Akatsuki_, though I still don't understand the motorcycle seats. A standard chair would have been better."

"Heh." Ohgi laughed a little, once more despite what he was feeling on the inside. "Nobody understands why they have them, except Rakshata." he then closed the folder. "Alright, I just may be going insane for doing this, but I'll make sure the 9th is assigned to the _Ikaruga_. On one condition though."

The Black Knights General looked Viletta dead in the eye, as well as made sure she did the same to him, before speaking his next sentence. "Don't die on me out there Viletta. I mean that."

Viletta nodded as well. "Same goes for you Kaname."

* * *

**Okinawa Government Bureau**  
**Naha, Independent Republic of Okinawa**  
**March 31st, 2025 a.t.b.**

It had simple enough to find the Government Bureau with the Druid System in his mask, as well as to navigate around the building to an elevator that would take him to the rooftop. The only problem Lelouch faced in all of this was the slight hesitance he felt at the idea of going to a rendezvous without any knowledge of who he was meeting or why. He did have a few candidates in mind, though he wasn't sure if any of them were even still alive, much less working as a government official for the Independent Republic of Okinawa. And if there was one thing Lelouch hated more than anything else, it was dealing with the unknown, even if he could somehow use his Geass on the individual should he or she prove hostile. Even then, that was an absolute last resort.

As the elevator continued its way up the length of the Government Bureau, Lelouch ran through the hundred or so list of names he had remembered amongst his list of supporters during the Japanese Insurrection, from private benefactors to larger groups like Kyoto House. The most likely one, as Lelouch felt, would have been Taizo Kirihara, the de facto leader of Kyoto House as well as one of the few who had been aware of Zero's true identity. While Kyoto House was obviously gone with Japan, it wouldn't have been unlikely for Kirihara to have been the one to take leadership over the survivors after the Devastation and become the Prime Minister of Okinawa during the last eight years; Lelouch was quite aware of the old man's skills in administration and politics, as well as his drive toward returning Japan to its former glory. The issue however was whether he survived the Devastation to do all that, which Lelouch thought was less likely considering the man's frail condition and equally frail health at the time.

If it was not Kirihara, then Lelouch suspected one of the other heads of Kyoto House, though he could only hope it was one of the "friendlier" heads, as he remembered that at least two of the Kyoto officials had not taken well to the Black Knights, especially when they were being led by a foreigner. Lelouch inwardly groaned at the idea of having to deal with a hostile at this time of night; in truth, he would have rather been in bed and resting so that he would have the energy to deal with the entire bureaucracy when the time came. But at the same time, he knew better than to disbelieve C.C.'s words, as such a practical joke was quite out of her character, in spite of her childishness at times.

And then the elevator stopped and the door opened slowly. Taking a breath, Lelouch stepped out of the elevator and onto the rooftop, ready to face whatever was waiting for him there.

The first thing Lelouch noticed was that the roof of the Government Bureau was not truly a roof. Like how Clovis had altered the Area 11 Government Bureau to reflect the Aries Palace gardens years ago, this rooftop seemed to be altered to look like a Japanese shrine of some kind, from the arch at the front to the rounded pebbles, the flattened stone path that led ahead, the abundance of trees, and a fairly large Japanese house at the middle of the building.

Lelouch immediately knew what this place was meant to represent. _This is the Kururugi Shrine._ he thought, suddenly finding his list of candidates narrowed down greatly.

Without pause, Lelouch walked all the way to the house; though there was no light emanating from within, he suspected that whoever had summoned him wanted to meet him there, as did his mask which had scanned one human inside. As soon as he came up to it, Lelouch opened the door and entered, though he did not remove his boots as per custom upon his entrance. Upon his facing the human, his mask quickly identified her.

Lelouch kept himself from sighing as he read the name and data that became displayed on his visor. "So, it was you who summoned me…" Lelouch exclaimed. "Kaguya Sumeragi."

From where she was kneeling, sipping from a teacup, Kaguya laughed. "Your voice has deepened since we last saw each other, Zero-_sama_." the woman replied. "Or would you prefer if I called you Lelouch-_sama_?"

"You may refer to me however you wish." Lelouch replied in turn. For some reason he felt there was something not quite right with Kaguya, a great change from the teenaged aristocrat who held a, for lack of better definition, 'spunky' persona and an admiration for Zero that even made Tamaki's look tame. Regardless, Lelouch continued. "What is it that you want to discuss with me, Prime Minister?"

"We will get to that in a minute." Kaguya said, sounding more amused by Lelouch's question than she should have. "But first, if it is okay, I would like to 'catch up' with you, as it has been eight years since we last met face to face."

Before Lelouch could question her intent, Kaguya placed the teacup next to the small set at her side and rose up, the formal _kimono_ she wore flowing as she rose. But even so, it was only when Kaguya stepped out of the darkness that Lelouch realized the great change he had suspected, and even he could not keep his eyes from widening from behind his mask nor his heart from freezing in his chest.

_Her eyes…!_ Lelouch thought, as he looked upon Kaguya's face as she made her way from the dark. Sure enough, her eyes were fully closed, in such a way that one knew they would never reopen again, for they could no longer see. And in that moment, Lelouch remembered Nunnally and saw his sister's image cast over, making him cringe from the mere memory of it.

But even so, he did not step back, nor shy away from Kaguya when she came right up to him. Instead, he stood perfectly still, allowing her hands to move across his body, from his chest to his now broadened shoulders and even his hips; once more, his time with Nunnally had made him knowing of how those without sight "saw" others. When her hand reached his mask, Lelouch heard Kaguya whisper. "Please, with your permission…"

Once more feeling his heart drown in itself, Lelouch reached up and removed his mask with one hand, and then lowered his veil with the other. Once she found Lelouch was still again, Kaguya brought her hands up and slowly brushed her fingertips across Lelouch's face, from his cheeks to the corners of his mouth and to his forehead, memorizing every touch she felt as she passed. For some reason as she did this, her own face, originally looking as pleasant as Lelouch remembered it, took on a more saddened tone as she moved her fingers around, as if she were detecting the pain and sadness Lelouch had accumulated over his lifetime in one small motion.

Upon coming across the scar over his left eye, Lelouch allowed himself to sigh, knowing what Kaguya was about to ask. "A gift…" he explained. "…from Suzaku Kururugi."

Kaguya responded to her cousin's name with what could only be described as pity toward Lelouch, once more as if she were detecting the former prince's confliction toward the one he still considered a friend, even now. Once she had finished taking the shape of his face into her memory, Kaguya withdrew her hand and smiled sweetly. "You've certainly become quite a man Lelouch."

"And you quite a lady, Kaguya." Lelouch replied, taking her hand once more and touching it to his lips, a gesture that made Kaguya blush slightly. "It is shameful that we meet again in the worst of circumstances."

"Yes…" Kaguya said, facing down a little. "…I trust Nunnally is well?"

Lelouch did his best to keep the pain stricken from his reply. "I am afraid I have not seen nor heard from her since the Black Rebellion. At this time, the entire world believes her to have died with her mother fifteen years ago, and although I believe her to still be alive, I cannot answer such a question."

"Oh…" Kaguya said, her features saddening further. "…I'm sorry."

"No need. You did not know." Lelouch said honestly. "But that is not the reason why you called me here, is it?"

At that, Kaguya's expression turned more serious. "No, it is not." she replied. "I have called you here because, before I commit Okinawa's resources to your cause, I want to know: what exactly are your intentions with my people?"

"Your people?" Lelouch questioned. "Are you referring to the surviving Japanese, or the Britannians that also reside here?"

"Both." Kaguya replied with finality. "Despite my blindness from the Devastation, the survivors of Japan's destruction have come to trust me with their very livelihood; as their elected Prime Minister, they expect me to lead them, protect them and keep them alive in this time of chaos. It no longer matters whether they are Japanese or Britannian, as their fates are tied together one and the same."

Kaguya's brows narrowed as she continued. "So I ask you again, as one leader to another, what are your intentions?"

Lelouch's gaze narrowed as he turned away in thought, hands clasped behind his back. Despite her condition, he was sure Kaguya detected it. "My original intention, long ago, was to destroy Britannia and avenge my mother's death. Years later, when I realized that the Japanese and many others were suffering not only from Britannia, I changed my intention to creating a nation where there would be no suffering for those who lived in it.

"And now, with the Devastation, I find myself changing my intentions again." Lelouch replied, as he turend around to face Kaguya again. "This time, my intention, Kaguya Sumeragi, is to utilize the Black Knights and all resources available to destroy this world and drive its existence to the depths of human history."

At first, Lelouch thought Kaguya would have been horrified at such a prospect, but much to his surprise, the Prime Minister remained where she was, only holding a dubious expression in response. "And why exactly do you wish to destroy the world, Lelouch?"

"Because I know now that it isn't Britannia that is responsible for the pain and suffering of humanity at this time, and neither is it the EU. Instead, it is this very world itself that is responsible for all the hatred, war and death that humanity faces in this era." Lelouch continued. "Perhaps at one time the current world was something noble and peaceful, but now it is merely a warped existence that drives humans to continually torment and kill one another over such things like 'territory', 'resources' and 'races'. Therefore, just as one would put a wounded animal out of its misery, I intend to do the same to this very era."

"But one cannot simply destroy an existence without another to replace it." Kaguya summarized. "So, how do you know that the world that will emerge from this one will be any different?"

"Because I intend for people like you, who know of suffering and death firsthand, to lead it." Lelouch stated as fact. "The world is as it is now because its leaders have long forgotten the wills of their people, as well as the consequences that their actions create. Their only interest is power itself, and for that they must be removed and replaced by leaders such as yourself Kaguya, who only use power for the betterment of others."

"And do you consider yourself to be like that?" Kaguya inquired.

Lelouch actually laughed at that one in his villainous tone. "I'm afraid that is not my place. While I may be the destroyer of this world and the creator of the next, I am certainly not one to guide the latter. No, when the time comes, it will be for you and others like you to decide the fate of humanity thereafter."

Kaguya seemed to consider that, as Lelouch could tell from her expression. "What is this world you wish to create?"

The exile grinned like the devil Himself. That was _exactly_ what he wanted Kaguya to ask. "A world without strife, where humans, no matter where they may originate from, can coexist with one another in peace." he began to pace around Kaguya, continually watching her form to see any changes. "Though I'm afraid even I cannot dispel humanity of its aggressive traits, as they are a byproduct of individuality, I can at least make it so there will be no need for active warfare.

"In this world I wish to create…" Lelouch started. "Disagreements between nations can be discussed and solved openly in a public forum, as opposed to through warfare and military power. Resources can be shared through negotiations and trade as opposed to forced acquisition, and each nation can be content with their lines of the map. In this world, citizens need not fear of invasion from a foreign power, and each military force is only used for defense against internal rebellion or terrorism. And above all else, in this world all humans are equal to one another as opposed to one being superior to the rest."

When he circled around to face Kaguya again, he saw that he had triggered an emotional response from her, as she seemed on the verge of tears. "I know it all sounds too good to be true." he continued. "That many before me have proposed such a world, but none have succeeded in its creation. But I assure you I am different, as I have the proper tools to not only see this one drowned into the deepest circles of Hell for its collective sins, but to see that the new world that emerges from its ashes does not repeat where its predecessor left off. All you have to do is believe in me, and I will see it through."

"…And…" Kaguya nearly stammered. "…just how far are you willing to go to see this through?"

"As far as it is required of me, for any less would make all of the sacrifices that have been made and that will be made turn out in vain." Lelouch answered.

"…Does that include seeing this nation destroyed just as Japan before it?" Kaguya wondered, regaining some of her composure.

That one made Lelouch stop in his tracks, if only momentarily. When he figured out his answer, he smiled again and shook his head. "If you are referring to this island, then yes, I am willing to sacrifice it if it brings us closer to our goal." he replied. "But if you are referring to your people, Kaguya, then no. Their extinction would make all of my efforts wasted."

That piqued Kaguya's curiosity. "What do you mean?"

"As I told you before, I cannot do away with humanity's aggressive tendencies. Though the majority will be content to live in peace, there will still be those that strive for dominance and war at the expense of others." Lelouch stated. "For that reason, I intend for the Black Knights to become the guardians of peace of this new world, to keep the past from repeating itself. Just as gods have angels to protect their heavenly realms, the Black Knights will become the safeguard that keeps humanity from falling into darkness again."

In an act that even he thought was bold, Lelouch reached out and grasped Kaguya by her shoulders. "Your people have long suffered from the darker side of humanity Kaguya, but I assure you it wasn't for nothing. While I cannot promise that Japan will ever be reborn again, or even if it is meant to be reborn, I can promise that those who dwelled upon that land will live on, so that no other nation may suffer the same fate as your homeland."

In his hold, Kaguya shifted uncomfortably and turned slightly away from Lelouch's gaze.

"Do my reasons not please you?" Lelouch inquired, unsure of what he was reading from her at this point.

"…No." Kaguya replied. "It's just…" when she turned to face him again, Lelouch saw tears slowly streaming down her eyes. "I want to see this new world…"

Satisfied that he had obtained the result he desired, Lelouch reached out with his gloved hand to wipe away Kaguya's tears. "You will, Kaguya. I know it."

After Kaguya regained her composure, she nodded toward him. "What is it that you need from me?"

Lelouch could only grin fiendishly at the question.

* * *

**Black Knights Military Academy  
****Ginowan, Independent State of Okinawa**  
**April 7, 2025 a.t.b.**

It was almost a sea. A sea of black and silver uniforms, topped with an assortment of flight caps, peaked caps and berets, all perfectly lined up in single file, officers and enlisted alike, waiting at attention to hear the words of their leader. Even Lelouch, as he stared out through the vidscreen in his mask to the array of Black Knights standing before the platform, willing and waiting for his entrance as Kaguya began finishing her speech, could not keep himself from smiling at the awesome sight of it. And thanks to his mask, nobody would ever see that smile upon his face.

Then less than a few minutes later, Kaguya finished her speech and directed the audience's attention toward the coming leader. Patiently, he waited as the lift he was standing on started up, elevating him upward as a pair of doors opened above, revealing the stage. He had chosen to hold this speech at twilight, if only for the symbolism of it; as such, the stage was brightly lit, making his dark form discernible enough for his audience. As his head and upper torso emerged from below, he heard Tohdoh, who was one of the Black Knights leaders standing on either side, quickly shout. "Attention!"

Upon the command, the soles of each and every boot in front of the stage snapped together in a resounding thump, their wearers now at full military attention, as though it had not been eight years since they had seen their leader, while their arms each snapped into a salute identical in form. Lelouch had to resist the urge to salute back; he was no longer a "mere" soldier, or even simply a General, but Zero, the man who would see the renewal of humanity. As much as it chafed against him, he could not "lower" himself by returning their salute, even if they could not see it.

As he fully emerged onto the stage, he made one last sweep, scanning over the faces of those gathered before him, knowing that for those who were standing on this field, there were many more elsewhere throughout the island, watching the stage through television monitors and eager to hear his words. Near the end of his sweep, he found Kallen standing at the front of the formation alongside the members of Zero Squadron, all wearing special forces berets with the Black Knights sigil at the base. For a moment he paused and looked over her face as she stared back; though he was wearing a mask and conceived in darkness, she looked as though she were really looking at him in the eye. Staying like that for only a moment longer, he then moved away from Kallen and looked over the rest, before he began.

**"My loyal Black Knights!"** he called out with all his being as the lift stopped at long last. _**"Hear my words!" **_his voice resounded throughout the area.

**"For eight years you have hidden yourselves here at the edge of the world, biding your time and awaiting the day where you would bring war upon your enemies once more! For eight years, you have endured the watchful eye of Britannia, the very empire that drove you to this fringe existence, while patiently building your strength so that when I called you into battle, you would be ready! For eight years, you have kept to your friends and families, living in happiness from the peaceful lives you have established for yourselves, in fear that it may all be taken from you just as the Devastation had done before, and in anticipation for the days where you would be able to repay your adversaries tenfold for their crimes and injustice! My Black Knights, I come before you now to give you the very words you have been waiting to hear: _that day has come!_**

**"On this day, I once more call upon you to stand, as knights of justice, against the evils that Britannia and those like it have invited onto this Earth! We stand here today, ready and willing, to put down the vile beast that is the Holy Britannian Empire with our swords and our spears, to forever rid the world of its tyranny!**

**"I realize that many of you are hesitant to answer this call to arms! Some of you have families waiting for you here, as well as other attachments that you are afraid to leave behind! At that, I say this unto you now: _it is for them that you fight!_ It is for them that you take the stand against the legions of the abyss, in the hope that your children and your children's children may live in a world free of the darkness! It is for them that you willingly march into the gates of hell and the jaws of death, so that your descendents will never have to! And it is for them that you lay down your life willingly, in this reenacted crusade against injustice!**

**"Some of you have doubts that, in spite of the massive growth our forces have experienced over the last few years, you will not succeed where the European Union has failed with a thousand times the resources in our own possession! At that, I say unto you now: _remember the Insurrection!_ Remember the days where the Black Knights were just another Japanese resistance, insignificant in size and power compared to that of others such as the Japan Liberation Front! Remember what this army has accomplished in those days, when our military force consisted of little more than a handful of knightmares and some infantry! And above all else, remember that it was the Black Knights that forced the Britannians into a corner, causing them to take the only option they had left to them in the form of Operation Nero! _Remember what the Black Knights did then and consider, with the expansion of our power, what we can do today!_**

**"I realize that going to war now and fighting out in the open will be hard for some of you! When you first came to this island, situated south of the ruins of your homeland, broken, shattered, grieving, remembering the horror of the Devastation and the deaths of your comrades and loved ones, it would have been easier to simply allow yourselves to disappear into this land and continue to hide from the world instead of building up your strength in the hope of going into battle again! It would have been easier for you to simply settle down and live out your lives with those you have come to care about and love, instead of to reengage the war you started years ago! It would have been easier for you to simply let the Second Great World War play out and pray that it is the European Union that comes out victorious, instead of taking matters and the fate of humanity into your own hands! Despite this obviously simple path that you could have taken, instead you endured, and waited, and listened, and now you have seen what your patience, understanding, and obedience has granted you!"**

He waved his hands outward. **"Once more, I am free of my own imprisonment, ready to lead you just as I had before, all with an army of knightmares and a fleet of warships, all featuring the most advanced weapons and technology ever conceived!"**

Lelouch felt his lips fold into a grin as he went on. **"Remember this moment, when you tell your descendents of this war, this war for the soul and lifeblood of this planet, that it was because of your sacrifice and your deeds that victory was made possible! The very fate of the human race lies with _us_ now, not Britannia, not the EU, nor any other force! We will show the world that, once we ride into battle, there will be no haven for those who practice evil!"**

His arms raised toward the crowd, as if he were reaching out to them. **"My Black Knights! I command you!"** Lelouch roared, before raising his fist into the air. _**"RISE!"**_

The cheers were deafening, as chants of his name rang out across the soldiers in equal measure. Lelouch made no command to silence the cheering. Instead, he simply stood where he was, a new dominant smile swept across his face as his army roared with unified allegiance toward their leader and fury at those who had wronged them.

It was upon that day that the course of humanity would change forever, as the Black Knights prepared to ride once again.

* * *

TO BE CONTINUED…

**Author's Note:** Based Lelouch's final speech on His Divine Shadow's _In Vain Doth Valour Bleed_, which can be found under my favorite stories list. Yes I know, I'm an unoriginal bastard, but I really loved Reinhardt von Seydlitz's speech to the 10th _Panzerkaempher_ and have been wanting to use my own rendition of it for years. Anyway, the fiction is recommended for any _Mobile Suit Gundam_ fans out there. It's been dead for a while, but what's out there is worth the read.


	13. Chapter 13: Tora Tora Tora

"_The purpose of a blitzkrieg is to be as grandiose as possible. This way, the enemy will be too overtaken by dread to mount an effective defense."_  
- Schneizel el Britannia

**Chapter 13: Tora Tora Tora**

**Pacific Ocean**  
**April 10, 2025 a.t.b.**

"Shadow Two-Four to Shadow Two-Three, are you seeing what I'm seeing?" First Lieutenant Benjamin Maxford, callsign "Gunner", spoke as he turned his head to the side of his canopy to look back at his wingman and flight leader.

"Shadow Two-Three to Shadow Two-Four, unfortunately I am. Keep to the approach and stay alert." Captain Henry Gordon, callsign "Flash", replied as he angled his _Spitfire II_ stealth fighter to a more level flight course that would come closer to what they were sent out to track.

The subject in question was a massive gray cloud that was rolling across the ocean surface and rising all the way up and over two kilometers into the sky. Like a rolling blanket of fog from old seafaring tales, nobody knew where the cloud had come from or whether it was a natural phenomenon or not. No conventional sensors could scan into the cloud, and anything that was sent inside of it disappeared without a trace. And to make matters worse, the cloud was moving at a speed of sixteen knots, and was heading straight for the Area 7 island of Crusoe (once known as Oahu) and the Britannian military bases that had been placed there. Needless to say, it drew a lot of attention from the Imperial hierarchy, which was why the two _Spitfire IIs_ were out there.

But even with the _Spitfire IIs_' advanced radar, neither Flash nor Gunner were able to detect anything on the inside of the overlapping cloud, while the gray shade was only growing larger when cast against the fighters' individual canopies. Nothing seemed to penetrate into the cloud's interior, yet there wasn't any indication of electronic jamming; it was as if the cloud itself were nonexistent and the two fighters were chasing a ghost.

Resisting the urge to break off, Flash pushed back his disposition and contacted the Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) aircraft in the area, which went by the callsign "Fort". "This is Shadow Two-Three to Fort, my scope is clear. I'm detecting nothing in that cloud."

After a moment, the AWACS operator replied. "Fort to Shadow Two-Three, continue your current vector and keep scanning. You are authorized to enter the cloud." said the young voice on the other end.

"Roger, Fort. Maintaining vector." Flash replied, keeping his aircraft steady, though he was still feeling anxious about getting too close to that gray mass, even with the heavy firepower his fighter had to offer. No matter how he tried to reason about it, there was just something off with that cloud, something that Flash did not want to find out about. But at the same time, orders were orders, and so he kept his course.

"Fucking wanker." Gunner stated over the radio frequency between him and Flash. "If they want to scan that blob so badly, why not use the AWACS for that?"

"Not now Gunner." Flash stated up front before his wingman could complain further. "We'll make our pass and then bug out to Hickam."

"Roger." Gunner signed off, not fully convinced but still willing to follow his flight leader, as per his duty. With that, the two fighters angled out and proceeded to enter the cloud.

Immediately upon entering, the outside of the canopy became filled with a grey and black mass that totally obstructed the pilots' visual. To make matters worse, static began to fill the sensor displays, instrument panels and even the communication channels, with any spoken words sounding broken up and strained. "Ge-t-ng ac-ve ja-mm-g. Y-to-Sha-w T-ro?"

"Lik-ly…" Flash tried to reply, but his own words were broken up as well when they reached his wingman's ears. The more and more they journeyed into the cloud, the less and less resolute he felt about the situation.

For the next few minutes, the two fighters flew deeper into the abyss practically blindfolded. No matter how far they went, their onboard sensors were picking up nothing, and their communications were little more than garbled word mashing. Even with night vision active neither pilot was able to see very far ahead of them, as if they were flying into a void.

Somewhere in the abyss however, Flash's eye seemed to catch a silhouette in the distance. _What is that? Could that be…?_

"Fla-you se-at?" Gunner called out, signifying that he saw the shadow as well.

"Aff-tiv-. Mo- in an- tak- -ook." Flash replied back as he turned his plane toward the shadows in the distance.

As they drew closer to the black shapes, they began to take more prominent forms, transforming from black blobs to clearly metal objects, long and narrow from both ends and holding wings that emitted a pinkish glow. The details only grew more apparent as the fighters closed range, and soon enough, Flash and Gunner were directly over the shapes, close enough to see the hyper-velocity cannons and winged sword sigils on their hulls. _Those are warships!_ Flash let out with wide eyes.

A shrill noise soon emitted from Gunner's cockpit display, signifying that the enemy had gained a missile lock. "I'm-be-pai-ted!"

"Go-evas-ve!" Flash exclaimed as his own sensors beeped shrilly, indicating he was also under a missile lock. Before his wingman could carry out that order however, he caught sight of a single missile flying out of one of the ships and striking Gunner's _Spitfire II_ in the left engine, detonating it and engulfing the entire plane in fire before the hapless pilot could even eject.

But Flash had no time to mourn or get angry, as his radar caught another missile incoming and heading toward him. His training reacting faster than his mind could process, he began dumping flares and executing a series of twists and turns to evade, while sending out a call to the AWACS at the same time. He only hoped that it made it past the jamming. "This-Sha-Two-Thr-ha-bee-gaged! Rep-t-the-re-hostil-th-clo-d!"

Unfortunately his efforts were in vain, as in spite of his evasive techniques and the _Spitfire II_'s stealth capabilities, the missile had locked onto the plane's radar signature and homed right in. The last thing Flash saw before the world went white was the missile's nose intersecting right into his cockpit canopy.

* * *

**Hickam Air Base**  
**County of Crusoe, Area 7 (Sandwich Islands), Holy Britannian Empire**  
**April 10, 2025 a.t.b.**

Major General Walter Short, 7th Earl of Crusoe, still could not believe what he was seeing on the screen in front of him. In fact, such was his disbelief that he blinked his eyes to make sure that his vision wasn't slipping away with his age.

As he stared up at the tactical screen at the end of the command center, Short's eyes befell a massive blob of nothing over the southwestern quadrant of the Pacific. Whereas anywhere else on the screen he could have seen icons depicting Britannian ships or fighters on their patrol runs across the ocean, that area of the screen, ranging some eight kilometers in diameter, was totally blank of sensor readouts or data. Radar could not pierce it, and the only information he got from any ships or aircraft that were sent there was that the "blob" in question appeared to be a massive blanket of fog. That wouldn't have bothered Short much, except that it was on a direct course for Area 7, and despite its slow speed it still kept coming.

The whole idea of an unknown force incoming toward his territory made Short stroke his brows in near exhaustion. By this point in time he was a dinosaur through and through, having served in the Imperial Air Force for over forty years and through multiple wars, including the Indochinese War and the Second Pacific War only fifteen years ago. Having been decades since he had stepped into the cockpit of a fighter, and only capable of doing so much as a commander and a strategist, Short had decided to live out the rest of his commission in comfort by taking the title of Earl of Crusoe and full control of the air force detachment in Area 7, which among many things served as the Empire's primary basin in the pacific. From that point forward the days had been going more slowly for the General, almost as if he had officially retired.

As far as deployments went, Area 7 wasn't as bad Indochina or the Middle East. The former Sandwich Islandsan Islands had long been assimilated into the Britannian superstructure as had their original inhabitants, the once savage Sevens, while their proximity to the Imperial Homeland meant that the Area would always be properly civilized and modernized with the latest technologies and comforts. As well, due to the dual presence of Pearl Harbor and Hickam as well as several other military installations, no opposing force had ever attempted an invasion of the isles even for the foothold it would represent against the Empire, making assignment to Area 7 more of a vacation from the outside world and wars instead of a true military posting. It also helped that the closest foreign power to the islands had been the Republic of Japan, that is before they were turned into Area 11 and then properly wiped out when they tried to rebel.

But now that had all changed, and for the first time since coming to this land, Short would be forced to deploy his forces for true combat purposes and he was not looking forward to it. Fortunately he was not shorthanded in numbers, as he had more than a few fighter and knightmare wings at his command along with a fair number of _Caerleon_-class destroyers and even a few _Logres_-class battleships to throw at this incoming threat. If nothing else, Short could cooperate his efforts with his naval counterpart Admiral Kimmel and launch a double air/sea barrage into the cloud, which would at the very least draw any enemy ships or mobile fortresses out of the cover for a direct confrontation. That is, assuming there were actual enemy ships within the cloud as opposed to the off chance of it being a natural weather phenomenon.

However, what bothered Short the most wasn't so much the cloud itself or the idea of an invasion, but rather who was behind it. For the last five years Britannia had enjoyed unparalleled dominance in the Pacific as no other nation held ground there. Japan was gone, the Chinese Federation had been annexed, and all of the EU's holdings in the region had been taken by Britannia through the conquest of eastern Russia. Sure, the EU still had a massive naval force, but they were thought to have been gathered in the Atlantic trying to stave off the advances in Western Europe and Africa. As such, there was no possible way that the EU could put a force together to strike at Area 7 on the other side of the world.

That made Short consider another possibility, one that brought him great dread. _Could it be the force that struck Pendragon?_

It was a possibility, and a fairly large one. Though he did not know the group's name, he like every other Britannian had seen the siege on Pendragon and the large military force involved with it. He had also known that the enemy force had used some form of stealth technology to evade the homeland's warning systems for the strike, as well as the fact that it had used a tidal surge and the resulting steam based smokescreen to evade Prince Schneizel's forces off Area 7's very coast. Logically they were attempting to use the same trick here, using a cloud of steam to conceal their strike group's number and strength, advancing toward the Area while destroying anything they came across with unrelenting force.

But at the same time, Short thought, there were holes in that plan as well. First, if they had a stealth system that allowed them to sneak past Britannian radar with ease, then why go to all the trouble of the steam cloud? Surely they would have tried to find a hole in Area 7's defenses to sneak through to launch another sneak attack. Second, despite the concealing nature of the cloud, it only served to gain notice as opposed to not; it should have been so obvious that even a half-witted dolt of a commander would realize that fact. So again, why go to the trouble of making the cloud, and have it move at such a slow speed no less?

Short didn't want to think about it, but he had a sinking feeling that it would be a long night ahead of him, unless he could somehow get an idea of what he would be fighting. Like that was going to happen at this time.

"General, we've lost contact with Shadow Flight." one of the base operators looked back at him with a sense of urgency.

"Last transmission?" Short inquired.

"Nothing after they entered the cloud sir. AWACS believes it to be a form of comm. jamming, coming from inside the cloud." the operator replied.

Short's expression turned even grimmer. "That settles it then. There is something _manmade_ in that cloud, and it's definitely hostile." he muttered, before turning to the base adjutant beside him. "Go to Combat Alert Status One. Mobilize all available forces for battle, and advise Admiral Kimmel to do the same."

"Aye sir." the adjutant replied, before turning to those before him. "Combat Alert Status One!" he ordered, the blaring sound of the alert klaxon becoming active a moment later. "Prepare all fighters and knightmare frames for battle! Send word to the homeland: unknown hostile force sighted off Area 7 coast, moving to engage!"

As the orders were carried out and men and women scrambled around him, Short crossed his arms together and continued to stare up at the miniature "blob" on the tacscreen as it continued to make its way across the pacific toward his Area. Despite his unease, he was still a Major General, and still tasked with the defense of Britannian territory; therefore, he would face this adversary just as he had done with others in the past. But even with that resolution, he could not get rid of the sinking feeling in his gut, which was telling him something was wrong…

* * *

**Black Knights air battleship **_**Ikaruga**_  
**Pacific Ocean**  
**April 10, 2025 a.t.b.**

It was the deep breath before the plunge, as quoted from one of Lelouch's favorite childhood stories. It had taken a few days, but he had done his best to set up everything properly for the strike; from deliberating with Okinawa's elected officials over the vitality and repercussions of the plan, which alone was more of a headache than facing Britannia had ever been, to gathering the pilots and resources together to make the strike force, getting Rakshata to create the special technology needed for the beginning of the operation and then performing near constant simulations of the attack itself at Ginowan. But now everything was set into motion, and in little more than an hour, what would be the first act of Lelouch's renewed holy war against Britannia would come to pass. All he needed to do now was wait a little longer.

Sitting back on his command chair in the _Ikaruga_'s bridge, Lelouch's eyes were now fixed on the tactical screen along with the rest of the bridge crew's. Displayed on the tacscreen was a map that showed the individual ships of the taskforce and their current location in regards to their course toward Pearl, along with the red marks that represented the final positions of the _Spitfire IIs_ that had just been shot down. Upon looking at those marks, Lelouch's eyes narrowed somewhat. _Now that the first move has been made, they'll begin to take the perceived threat more seriously…_

It was quite an elaborate scheme, even by his standards. His taskforce, which consisted of the air battleship _Ikaruga_, the air cruisers _Akagi _and _Hiei_, and the submarines _Ryujin_ and _Isonade_, was advancing on a leisurely course toward Area 7 under a great shroud of fog. This was accomplished by positioning the two submarines at a specific distance around the flanks of the three airships, where they would use the radiant wave generators they had been specially equipped with to create a radiation field underneath the taskforce and evaporate the surrounding seawater, forming the "cloud" that now covered them. Under said cover, they purposely moved at a slow speed of sixteen knots while destroying any ship or aircraft that had entered the cloud in similar fashion to a true sea storm; so far they had sunk three patrol ships and now two fighter craft that had been deployed straight from Crusoe Island itself to investigate. The taskforce had been like that for hours now, which meant it would not be long before the white side made their countermove, which would consist of deploying a joint air-sea taskforce to intercept the "cloud". And that was exactly what Lelouch wanted.

"Did they send out a transmission?" Lelouch inquired toward the communications operator, whose name was Mutsuki if he remembered correctly.

Looking at her console, Mutsuki shook her head. "Negative. The lead pilot attempted a burst, but our jamming canceled it before it could reach the enemy AWACS."

"I see." Lelouch nodded, putting a finger underneath the "chin" of his mask in consideration. Though he had hoped the pilot would have been able to send word out that there were warships hidden in the cloud, if only to incite the Britannians further, it likely made no difference. The loss of the two fighters alone would make the Britannians realize that there was a hostile threat in the cloud instead of hostile weather. "Time for Phase Two?"

"Seventeen minutes and thirty-six seconds." Minami confirmed after checking his watch. Though deep inside he had his own doubts about Lelouch's plan, which the masked revolutionary was keenly aware of, the _Ikaruga_ captain was professional enough to keep them to himself for the time being.

Upon that declaration, Ohgi, who was standing just a few meters from Zero's command area, looked up. "Shouldn't we be preparing our knightmares for launch Zero?"

"Not just yet Ohgi. We're still a good distance from Area 7, and we don't want to jump the gun before the fighting starts." Lelouch replied in his mechanically smooth tone, before turning back to Mutsuki a moment later. "But all the same, order our pilots to go on final standby alert. When the time comes, I want our entire force to be ready."

"Yes sir." Mutsuki replied as she activated the ship's intercom system and began broadcasting Lelouch's orders.

After she finished, Lelouch stood up from his chair and looked back at Ohgi and Minami. "Once we reach Phase Two, send a final broadcast to Naha, secure line: at 1830 hours, Taskforce Ikaruga has made final preparations to engage the Britannian Pacific Fleet in Area 7. All communications will be ceased thereafter until combat operations have concluded." After he saw them nod in confirmation of their orders, he turned to make his way to the elevator. "Now if you would excuse me, I have to go change into my pilot suit."

Minami looked up at that. "You're going to lead the attack personally Zero?"

"Of course. After all, if the King does not lead, how does he expect his subordinates to follow?" Lelouch replied with a smirk behind his mask as he stepped toward the elevator. "Besides, it's been eight years since I participated in a battle against Britannia, and this is the perfect opportunity to get back into the game."

"But at the same time you haven't piloted a knightmare in eight years." Ohgi replied out of faux concern. It was obviously a lie, but he had to put on a show for the rest of the crew present, since it would not make sense for a man who had supposedly been in captivity for so long to automatically remember his way around a knightmare.

Lelouch laughed at that, both out of finding amusement toward Ohgi's little act and to go along with said act. "Very true Ohgi. Fortunately however I brushed up on my piloting abilities before we left Okinawa; rest assured I can handle myself out there appropriately."

Ohgi shrugged in response, pretending to be defeated. "If that is your decision, then I will inform General Tohdoh immediately."

"Do that, and tell the hangar deck to prepare the _Gawain_ for battle." Lelouch acknowledged before finally entering into the elevator. "You have operational command now General." he said as the door closed.

As the elevator began to ascend to the upper decks, Lelouch silently waited.

* * *

The atmosphere was undeniably tense throughout the ship. Though business went on as usual, with the various Black Knights tending to their duties in one way or another, there was something of an anxiety amongst them, a constrained panic that seemingly threatened to break loose of and run amok throughout the _Ikaruga_, as well as the other four vessels. This development was only natural; while the Black Knights had all gone through a hardened training regimen during the last eight years of inactivity, for many of them the coming battle would be their first combat experience. There were very few veterans from the Black Rebellion aboard the _Ikaruga_, as the few that had survived that and the Devastation had either become instructors at Ginowan or part of the High Command. At the same time, only a fair margin of veterans from the Pendragon strike remained as well; many had perished during that operation, and even more had died in the ambush over the pacific. Thus, much of the _Ikaruga_'s crew, as well as knightmare force, remained untested except through textbook studies and simulations, and the fact that their very first combat deployment would be taking the Holy Britannian Empire's central installation in the pacific caused a fair amount of dread within their numbers. Even the knowledge that Zero was with them did not belay the fact that not many would survive Operation Tsunami.

Alfred was not amongst those people. As one of the few combat veterans aboard that had experience predating the Black Rebellion and even the Japanese Insurrection as a whole, he had long grown accustomed to the idea that he may not survive the next battle, instead choosing to focus on his present priorities as opposed to dreading his potential end. If anything, his current feelings could best described as "annoyance"; though he understood the predicament of the "newbies", as he himself had been one a long time ago, it had gotten to the point where their silence and barely concealed fright threatened to disturb his own calmness. The fact he was on standby with the rest of the _Ikaruga_'s pilots didn't help much either; being on final standby alert meant all battlestations were held and all pilots were dressed in their pilot suits while their knightmares were ready and waiting to launch at a moment's notice. As such, there was not much for Alfred to do in such a time, as he did not dare go back to his quarters or the pilot lounge or even get a snack at the mess when he could be ordered out at any moment. All he could do was wait for Mutsuki's voice to sound over the intercom and command their launch, with the only consolation being he and the other pilots had not yet been ordered on Ready Five status, which by definition meant they had to be ready to launch in five minutes at most; that meant sitting in the cockpit of one's knightmare with all instruments active for what could be hours.

Since he could not eat, sleep, watch a movie or play a video game, all of which were Alfred's primary methods to kill time, he instead chose to remain on the hangar deck and inspect his machine. As usual, his _Guren Isshiki_ was an intimidating sight; even inactive it looked more powerful and imposing than any other knightmare the former Glaston Knight had piloted in the past. The damage it had taken from Pendragon and beyond was all gone now, so that in the coming battle the machine would be operating at one hundred percent efficiency, something Alfred appreciated.

A shrill cry from above interrupted his thoughts, as well as caused more than a few others in the hangar to look upward as well. "How the hell did a bird get in here?" one of the mechanics let out.

Upon looking up himself, Alfred saw the familiar form of a bird of prey circling directly above him, letting out a shriek or two as if to gain his attention. Alfred sighed at that. "Andreas!" he called out.

As soon as his voice rang out, the bird of prey, now identifiable as a peregrine falcon, dove down and promptly landed on Alfred's waiting arm. "I thought I told you it's not safe to be flying around the ship right now." Alfred stated to, which the falcon squawked once in reply.

"I didn't know you brought Andreas with you." a human voice spoke as another individual walked up, one noticeably dressed in a blue version of the Black Knights' pilot suit. He took one look at the bird and smiled.

Alfred looked from the bird over to the individual, then reaching his arm up to his collar and allowed Andreas to perch himself on his master's shoulder. "I brought him on this trip because he raised hell while I was away at Pendragon. Damn near killed the guy I left him with."

"He must have been bored without you; the fact he's apparently figured out the _Ikaruga_'s elevator system as well as locate you means he's quite intelligent, even for his species." the other pilot replied, casually running a hand across his snow white hair while his pure blue eyes remained fixed on the predatory bird. Both features as well as his ace-level skills in a knightmare made him quite distinct within the Black Knights.

"Heh." Alfred laughed a little, casually petting Andreas' back. "I don't suppose you've had a bird for a pet once Rai."

Major Rai Hitsugaya, commander of the Black Knights' 8th Knightmare Squadron "Raiden" casually shook his head. "I'm afraid not. I only know them from books and zoos." He replied. "Never really had a thing for pets."

"I see." Alfred said while carefully eyeing his comrade. "What are you doing up here anyway? I thought you were with your pilots in the mess."

Rai laughed a little bit. "Well, the problem is my pilots ended up picking a fight with _your_ pilots, albeit at Lieutenant Saidoharu's provoking. I just got back from threatening to put them all on Ready Five status if they didn't shut up."

"Damn it Tayuya." Alfred cringed, imagining the surrounding damage that would occur from such a conflict. "Sorry. I know my unit can be rowdy at times..."

"Not at all, they were just anxious." Rai replied understandingly. "Waiting for a battle to begin is never easy, especially for the types of pilots Zero Squadron likes to recruit."

"Yeah. Aside from myself, the Major, and Charmelle, they're all psychotic killers in one way or the other." Alfred retorted, then looking from the corner of his eye toward the other pilot. "But then I guess in the end, we're all psychopaths, only with some more psychotic than others."

Rai noticed the glance and looked back at Alfred with some peculiarity. "And what about me gives you the impression that _I_ am a psychopath just like them?"

"I've seen your war records." Alfred replied, returning the glance to Rai. "I saw what you did in a _Burai_ and that pre-production type _Gekka_, from the Battle of Narita to the Black Rebellion. In fact, I heard the Japanese called you the _Aoraijin_, or 'Blue Thunder God', because you butchered a full platoon of _Gloucesters_ in less than a minute at Narita."

"A company actually. And there were a few _Sutherlands_ mixed in." Rai corrected. Strangely he showed no hostility toward Alfred despite the tension that was growing around the blonde haired pilot like a tree, instead acting more with curiosity as to why his comrade was suddenly becoming that way. "Their deaths won't cause a problem between us, will they?"

"Of course not. I only knew one person in that whole group, and he was a total bastard." Alfred explained. "That said, I noticed something peculiar with your fighting style. Though you were with the Black Knights, you fight more like a Britannian in each of the battles I've seen. If it had been anyone else, I would have believed you were trained at West Point; hell, you even _look_ more like a Britannian, despite your name being Japanese."

"I'm a half-breed like Kallen." Rai replied as if it were matter of fact. "And as for the first part, the Britannians invented the knightmare, therefore they were the best choice to model fighting tactics after."

"But you see, that only adds to another problem of mine: I realized that I know next to nothing about you." Alfred said, now looking Rai square in the eye. "And I am not alone there; no matter who I talk to, no one seems to know your background, where you came from or what you were before becoming a Black Knight. It's like you just came out of thin air complete with Britannian military training, and that truly bothers me."

A moment of silence came between them, only interrupted by Andreas squawking once. Upon that, Alfred looked down. "But in the end it doesn't really matter I guess. I might not be in the know, but you're still my comrade and superior officer, and I would trust my life and the lives of my own squadmates to you in battle. However…"

Alfred then reestablished eye contact. "Someday, I may want to learn the truth."

Rai stared back at him, then closed his eyes and smiled a little. "And someday I may tell you. But for now, I only wish that you trust me regardless." He then reached out a hand. "Still friends?"

The other pilot nodded. "Still friends." He said and slapped the hand as a show of acknowledgement. "But you can at least tell me one thing: I heard you were an original member of Zero Squadron, but chose not to rejoin when the Black Knights were being reformed. Why?"

The white haired ace considered that for a moment. "Actually, I did intend on rejoining, but Kallen thought it would be better if I commanded a squadron of my own, so while you guys were out in Pendragon I was forming Raiden Squadron up at Ginowan. And here I am now."

"I see." Alfred replied, allowing himself to believe that much about his comrade.

Deciding to change the subject there, Rai turned and looked up toward the line of _Gurens_. "Sometimes I still can't believe how far we've come in such a short time." he murmured. "If we had machines like these during the Insurrection, the _Lancelot_ would have been turned into scrap metal early on."

"I don't know about that. You guys had Triple G." Alfred pointed out.

"'Triple G'?" Rai raised an eyebrow.

"The _Guren_, the _Gekka_ and the _Gawain_." Alfred explained, as he went back to stroking the back of Andreas' head. "One advanced model prototype, six limited production types, and a specialty command unit. That's more of a technological edge than our side had with just the _Lancelot_, yet Kururugi still kept showing you guys up."

"Ah, but we only had the _Nishiki_ early on." Rai pointed out. "I didn't receive my _Gekka_ until after Narita, while Tohdoh and the Four Holy Swords didn't get theirs until much later, and as for the _Gawain_ we only obtained that toward the very end. For the rest of the war we only had _Burais_ and whatever we could capture from your side, whereas you had the _Lancelot_ since the very beginning, not to mention the _Gloucesters_ that came with Cornelia's Eighth Army."

The mention of Cornelia and her unit immediately caused a stream of memories to flow through Alfred's mind, depicting his father and his brothers prominently. Unconsciously Alfred cringed at that, causing Andreas, the falcon Andreas, to let out a worried cry as he noticed it.

It took only a moment for Rai to realize his mistake. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean…"

"No, it's alright. You just caught me off guard." Alfred replied. Casually he reached down to his side and withdrew his Glaston Knight visor from a compartment on his hip, looking down at the ruby colored lens with a frown. "Regardless what happened before, things are different now. I'm no longer the naïve fool that fought for a nation and an Emperor that would throw my life and the lives of innocents aside without a second thought, nor am I longer blind to the crimes my former country committed in the name of dominance."

Clutching his fingers around the mask, Alfred looked back up to the surrounding knightmares and the other Black Knights in the hangar, all still waiting for their final orders to come. "My only regret is that neither my father nor my brothers were able to see the truth as well."

Rai nodded in sympathy, just as what seemed to be his own barely noticeable remembrance past over his eyes.

* * *

Viletta found that the pilot suit fit her body well enough, but due to the fact she had not worn such a suit in eight years it was still fairly tight on her. As she finally closed her collar, she turned and looked at herself in a nearby mirror in the locker room, gazing at the tall, tan skinned Britannian woman dressed in a Black Knight pilot suit and looking more ready to fight her home country than she would have believed. From her bob cut silver hair to her fairly thin but clearly toned build, she looked every ounce the soldier and pilot she once was and then some. The only difference was her suit bared the winged sword on its side as opposed to the Britannian cross.

Even though she had worn the standard uniform for the last several days, Viletta still felt as though she were looking at an alien or at least a different woman each time she saw herself in a mirror. Yes, the women she saw, despite the foreign uniform, wore her tanned face, held her piercing golden eyes and spoke with her proud, commanding voice while keeping the same aura of superiority that she had held since becoming a soldier. Yet in spite of those facts, Viletta could not for the life of her tell whether the very woman she was looking at now was her or not; had things gone the way they were intended to, she would have been appalled to even think of herself wearing an "enemy" uniform with a differing insignia while preparing to go into battle against her king and country. And the worst part of it was she knew she was not the only one with this problem; she could imagine that almost every Britannian soldier that had not been in the Black Knights since the beginning was having similar sentiments as her, even if none of them would discuss their discomforts openly.

For that reason and that reason alone, Viletta mentally pushed back any ill feelings and accepted that things had turned out the way they were and that there was no going against them. Like it or not, she was now Lieutenant Colonel Viletta Ohgi of the Black Knights, commander of 9th Knightmare Squadron "Kyosha" and one of the most experienced pilots in the _Ikaruga_'s 1st Mobile Assault Force. To continue to dwell on the matter would affect her morale, as well as the men that she commanded even though they were all former special forces like she was, and the leader in her could not and would not allow that. As such, she looked away from the mirror and chose instead to find something that would pass the time before the order to launch came.

"You alright Colonel?" the voice of Charmelle Finlay suddenly spoke up from behind her, to which Viletta turned to see that its owner had suddenly appeared in that empty space. "Because speaking freely ma'am, you look like hell."

Viletta smirked cynically. "Ignoring the fact you didn't ask for permission first, I can't say I disagree with that statement Captain Finlay." She then looked down on the floor for a second. "But then I suppose it's natural, since I am, technically speaking, about to commit an act of treason against my home country."

"It's only treason when you strike the first blow." Charmelle countered. "Whereas when you are abandoned to die by said home country at the beginning, it's Newton's third law."

"'For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction', huh?" Viletta could only chuckle at the idea. "Can't disagree with that one either. I must compliment you Captain; I would not have expected a member of Zero Squadron to have such logical reasoning. Shame I couldn't get you to transfer into the 9th."

"With respect to you and the 9th, Colonel, I like being part of the best unit the Black Knights have to offer." Charmelle explained with a small, challenging smirk.

Viletta retorted with a domineering smile of her own. "We'll see who holds that title after this battle."

Charmelle eyed the superior officer. "Acting rather optimistic, aren't we ma'am? Especially when none of your pilots have been in active combat for eight years."

"Oh, I can assure you that my squadron will be more than ready to handle whatever the Britannians throw at us." Viletta shot back.

"I believe that." Charmelle replied. Her expression then became a bit more taciturn. "But seriously Colonel, at risk of sounding out of line by asking, will you be okay going into battle like this…?"

"I have no choice but to be 'alright' Captain." Viletta interrupted purposely, her voice now hardened. Though she knew Charmelle was speaking out of rightful concern, Viletta was not about to have the junior officer worrying about her now. As painful as it was to sound forceful, especially when the Captain clearly looked up to Viletta, the Lieutenant Colonel knew it was necessary. "For both the unit I am about to command in battle, and for my children back home that are betting on our success, I cannot falter. With that said, _do not ask me that question again._"

Charmelle blinked, and then let out a small laugh. "If that is your order, Colonel."

* * *

It had always been one of the last things any sane individual would expect to find on a warship, yet somehow it had made its way onto the _Ikaruga_. Though it was not the most tactically important section of the battleship, the ship's chapel was a peaceful and well maintained place, as good of a house for the Lord as any human could make. It held everything one would expect from a standard church, including lines of pews, an altar, multiple stained glass images across the walls depicting different Biblical scenes, miniature statues of various saints at each side and even a ship chaplain that kept it all in order. Naturally it and other institutions like it onboard the _Ikaruga_ were among the most frequently visited areas of the ship, as a surprising number of the _Ikaruga_'s crew, both Britannian and Japanese, were devoutly religious in some form, despite the events over the last eight years; if anything those aforementioned events only reinforced the belief that there was a God out there watching over mankind. After all, if there was no God, then how could anyone have survived the Devastation?

Moving quietly, as if trying not to disturb the one who was said to eternally live in such a place, C.C. made her way from the entrance to the chapel and, while making sure the heels of her pilot suit did not make too much of an echo, slowly came up to the altar. Had anyone been present they would have noted that the mysterious woman was more reverent to her surroundings than she would be anywhere else, acting in a reserved manner than was quite unlike her normal behavior. She did not make any movements that would generate excess sound and disturb the peace of her surroundings, nor did she show any of her usual willful manner, instead keeping herself composed throughout her walk to the heart of the chapel.

She had reasons for being there, reasons that she did not wish to share with anyone else, not even Lelouch. Though she had been called a "witch", a demon, and many other unbefitting titles to her character and purity, she had at one time lived under the belief that, even when she was cursed, there was a God out there. A God that watched over her and guided her, and in turn she had been one of His most devout followers, believing that she had lived to perform the duty He had given to her, even when she had been "cursed" with a Code. However, that belief would much later on become shattered, and afterward she had come to believe that there was no real God; that for all intents and purposes, she and the rest of mankind were alone in the void. For the longest time she wandered the Earth with that nihilism, only living to see her wish seen through at the end of her various contracts, while having to suffer through the endless pain and ill will brought upon her by the mortals around her. But now, in the face of certain events and through the indirect support of certain people, she began to wonder once again.

Still silent as she came in front of the altar, C.C. stared up at the stained glass image over it, which depicted the Crucifixion among several other images. For a moment longer she recalled how several lifetimes ago she had looked upon that image before going off to fight in a totally different war, a war that had lasted for an entire lifetime of its own and had seen the near destruction of a kingdom. With that in mind, she found it ironic that she would be looking at the crucifixion, the ultimate sacrifice, once more before she would head out to fight in a war that would likely see the near destruction of humanity itself.

And then, after that moment had passed, C.C. began to speak. "I don't know if you would hear my words now, after all this time of silence between us." she began. "I don't even know whether you're actually out there or not, somewhere beyond everything I comprehend. But even so, if only for _their_ sake, I pray now for the same things that I did then: your strength and guidance for what is it to come."

She then knelt down and made the sign of the cross over her chest, before beginning to recite a special prayer. A prayer that she had not recited in nearly two hundred years and only now, in the face of Armageddon, chose to utter.

_"Âme du Christ, sanctifie-nous."_ Heart of Christ, sanctify us.

_"Corps du Christ, sauve-nous."_ Body of Christ, save us.

_"Sang du Christ, purifie-nous."_ Blood of Christ, purify us.

_"Eau versée du flanc du Christ, lave-nous."_ Water left on the side of Christ, wash us.

_"Passion du Christ, récomforte-nous."_ Passion of Christ, fortify us.

_"Ô bon Jesus, donne-nous la force d'éxauçer ta volonté."_ O good Jesus, grant us Your will.

_"Cache-nous dans tes plaies."_ Hide us in Your wounds.

_"Accorde-nous ton ponvoir contre l'ennemi malveillant, alors que nous marchons vers les collines de Megiddo."_ Against the malignant enemy, issue us Your power, as we march in Your name to the hills of Megiddo.

_"À l'heure de notre mort, appelle-nous et invite-nous de venir à tes côtés pour que nous puissions être dans la companie de tes saints choisis pour éternité."_ Per hour of death, call upon us to come toward you in the company of Your saints so that we may be by Your side for eternity.

"_Au nom du Père, du Fils, et du Saint-Esprit._" In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost.

She then bowed her head a little lower as she finished the prayer. "_Amen_."

No sooner than C.C. had finished did the intercom sound. "All Black Knights, this is General Ohgi. We are now within striking range of Area 7…" suddenly the General's voice deepened to a cutting edge. _"Our war begins now."_

Just as suddenly as that announcement was made, alarm klaxons began to sound off as Mutsuki's voice came over the comm. system. "All hands man your battlestations! All hands man your battlestations! All pilots to their knightmares!"

C.C. sighed as she rose from the altar, taking one final glance at that stained glass image with certain remembrance. "And so it begins George, just as you said it would." She murmured, before turning and making her way out.

* * *

The alarm klaxons and their volume were something that Kallen had not forgotten despite her last few days on leave, nor was the rushing of personnel through the corridors, all answering the singular call to battle just as she and the man beside her were. Without pause the two moved through the seeming river of incoming human bodies, who in turn were so concentrated on getting to their destinations that they barely acknowledged either of them as they passed. But Kallen did not let any of them hinder her, as she weaved through the river with almost practiced precision, keeping her intentions set on getting to the _Guren_. Not too far from her, Lelouch seemed to be doing the same.

Rather than his standard uniform and cloak, Lelouch was now dressed in a customized black and gold pilot suit which was unique for possessing armored plates across its upper torso, arms, and legs. Dubbed the "Zero Armor" by Rakshata, who designed the suit personally, it was meant to improve Lelouch's survivability both in and out of a knightmare frame, as well as offer a fair amount of protection from small arms and explosive forces; after all, the Black Knights could not take the risk of losing Lelouch all over again, especially when the future of the organization and arguably the people that they were fighting for were resting on his shoulders. Naturally, Lelouch wore his mask with the suit, thus ensuing every part of his body was covered up, while unintentionally appearing more like the titular hero of an old _Kamen Rider_ series from Kallen's childhood as opposed to the world's greatest revolutionary.

At this point Lelouch was a few feet ahead of Kallen and moving at great speed despite the two way flow of people, and Kallen herself was having a semi-difficult time keeping up with him. However, while she struggled to follow, her eyes did not stray away from his back, neither did she lose sight of him throughout their trek to the _Ikaruga_'s hangar deck. And at the same time, despite the present tension, her mind did not stop replaying their earlier meeting, the one that had happened not too long ago…

* * *

"Let me see your gun." Lelouch said, holding out a waiting hand.

At first Kallen hesitated, if only because Lelouch didn't tell her what he was going to do with a firearm once given one. But then she reminded herself that Lelouch was back to his old self now and that he would not commit suicide when he still had to accomplish his childhood goal of conquering Britannia and liberating the world from its clutches. So before Lelouch could ask again, Kallen reached down to her side and took her gun from its holster, and then presented it handle first to her commander.

Not wasting a second, Lelouch took the gun and casually inspected it, looking over the long cylinder barrel and the unique design that seemed somewhat simpler than modern day pistols. Lelouch smirked; he recognized the gun, and though he had seen Kallen use it more than once, this was the first time he could look at it in detail. "Pistole Parabellum 1908, otherwise known as the Luger. Standard Issue, German State Army, First Great World War." He then ejected the magazine to see that, just as he had expected, it was fully loaded. "Why do you use this antique for your sidearm?"

"It belonged to my Britannian grandfather. He came home with it after GWWI and passed it down to my father, who then passed it to me years ago." Kallen explained without pause. "It's always worked better for me than modern pistols."

"I see." Lelouch replied as he ratcheted the magazine back into the pistol. He then twirled it in hand and passed it back to Kallen, who gladly accepted it. "Kallen, do you recall what I told you over the pacific, when you were fighting the _Wyvern_?"

Kallen quickly recalled that exchange and unconsciously looked away somewhat. "Yes, I do." she said, once more hesitant. "You said you had chosen me out of all others to be your Knight of Zero."

"Correct." Lelouch said, continuing. "In Britannian custom, a knight is charged with two duties. The first is to carry out any action or service that pertains to the will of his or her liege, and the second is the protection of the same."

Lelouch paused for a moment before going further. "Though you are not in any way a knight of Britannia, your duties are not too far removed, as you are charged with both carrying out my will and my protection. But as I am now able to hold my own when in battle, I will only charge you to watch over one area: my back."

The _Guren_ pilot looked a little confused at that. "I do not understand."

"Let me clarify." Lelouch replied, having figured she would say that. "As with all creatures, my back is the one area of my body that I cannot protect myself, and no matter how much I have improved in fighting skill, it will always remain a physical and metaphorical weak spot. In other words, as the protector of that singular weak spot, you would be in a position to kill me at any time, and that is exactly what I require."

Lelouch purposely continued before any opinion could be voiced. "This is my command to you Kallen: if I ever fall away from the path of righteousness, _you are to shoot me in the back_."

Instantly Kallen's eyes became filled with horror as she realized Lelouch was serious. "You want me to kill you…?" she muttered, not wanting to believe what she heard. "You can't have me do this Lelouch! I can't…!"

"No, you're the only one who can, because aside from C.C., you're the only one that I completely trust." Lelouch explained, moving forward.

"And what about C.C.? Wouldn't she be in a better position to do what you ask?" Kallen stammered, backing away.

"C.C. does not care if I were to become corrupted, as long as I live to fulfill our contract, whatever it is." Lelouch answered, stopping her from backing away further by grabbing her shoulders. "Kallen, even with all of my power and intelligence, I cannot tell what I will become in the future. All I know is that as Zero, I have indirectly caused unspeakable damage to this planet and humanity, damage that will take perhaps eons to fully heal. Thus, who knows how much destruction I would create were I to fall into the same darkness as my father and my ancestors."

Slowly, he reached up and placed his finger under Kallen's chin, so that he could turn her head back and look into her eyes. "You are my Knight of Zero and my Black Queen, as well as my last hope. With you watching my back, I can continue down this path without fearing the future; I can continue being Zero without fear that I may cause another Devastation or worse. And amongst all of the Black Knights, I can think of no other who is more qualified than you."

Though she wanted to turn away, Kallen could not escape the depth of Lelouch's eyes; even his left eye, alight with the red hue of Geass, continued to draw her in like a maelstrom. And no matter how much she tried to object or deny his command, every response she could think of would die in her throat, making her wonder if he had just cast Geass on her. She ignored that latter thought and, after another moment, she was finally able to speak. "But… how can you be sure Lelouch…?" she nearly whispered, unable to keep the reluctance from her voice. "…that I would be able to do what you ask?"

Lelouch smiled. "Because I know you will, if such a time comes."

* * *

Kallen's stomach still clenched at the memory of it. This was not the first time Lelouch had given her an unbelievable order that she could not fathom; during the Japanese Insurrection he had made her do things in and out of the _Guren_ that seemed so far out of there, without having to dirty her hands too much of course, that she could only figure out the reason behind each action after she had successfully executed the commands. But this one, even if she did understand the logic behind it, was still beyond her reasoning, and she began to worry that a part of Lelouch still hadn't recovered from the reawakening, and perhaps never would.

And the worst part of it was while Lelouch seemed to have all the faith in the world in her ability to see it through, Kallen could not resolve that she had it in her to kill him, even if she would come to believe he had fallen. Yes, she had pointed a gun at him before, no more than a few days ago, but that had only been an emotional response to Lelouch's brazen attitude. Even if he continued to press on her, she doubted she could have pulled the trigger; in fact, she couldn't even remember if she had ratcheted a round into the firing chamber after drawing. The whole thing, even thinking about it, made her sick to her stomach in a similar manner to when she had watched C.C. forcibly revive his Geass and his memories, as for better or worse she had come to know and care for Lelouch far more than she had nearly any other human being, both alive and dead. But then, she thought, that was likely the reason why Lelouch believed she could follow through with it, if his fall to evil ever came to pass.

For the moment however she had to put it out of her mind's eye as she and Lelouch had now come up to the hangar bay where their respective knightmares were stored. They both quickly entered it, finding the bay teaming with activity as pilots began boarding their knightmares while mechanics ran final checks on the different systems of each unit. The dead calm that had originally settled on this area of the ship was now very much a memory, as each pilot was now waiting and willing to go into battle and fight the Britannians on their own turf, no longer caring about whether they would come out alive or not.

Soon enough, Lelouch came up to the foot of the _Gawain_, which was standing in an area of the hangar not far from where the _Guren_ had been placed. At first Kallen was about to leave Lelouch to board his personal knightmare, but before she could go off, she noticed that Lelouch had stopped just in front of the massive black and gold machine and remained standing there, his mask angled upward toward the _Gawain_'s impassive face. Feeling something amiss, perhaps even more so than the earlier exchange, Kallen came over and stood next to the Black Knights leader. "Hey, are you alright?"

Lelouch physically responded by looking down, but not turning to face her. "I just realized that this is the second time I will be cutting all ties to my past, and it's surprisingly difficult for me to accept. Even if it was a false existence, I was truly happy with it for a while."

Kallen expression softened with understanding, as she also knew how painful it was to let go of a happier life even if it was necessary. It was more than difficult for her to do after Naoto died and she decided to carry on the fight in his name, so she could imagine how Lelouch felt before when he had chosen to do the same fifteen years ago when he stood up to his father and was exiled, only to now repeat the experience with restarting the war on Britannia and whatever friendships and relations he had gained in the past few years. "You know you don't have to go out there. You can just as easily direct the battle from the bridge."

"No, it is essential that I lead the charge in this battle…" Lelouch replied, his voice sounding more resolute now. "It is the only way I can be rid of my second life as Lelouch vi Britannia and everything that it entails."

The fact Lelouch was willing to speak of his true identity out in the open, even if there wasn't anyone around to hear his name uttered, was enough to tell Kallen that he was serious about his decision and nothing else would sway him. With that idea, Kallen nodded. "If that is what you have to do." she replied, before turning to head toward the _Guren Nishiki_ as well.

Before she made it more than a few meters from him however, Lelouch spoke up again. "Kallen." this time he turned to face her once she stopped. "No matter what happens, return from this battle alive. For what I have planned for the future, I will need you and your strength especially."

Kallen remained silent for a moment, but then returned a smile and, before Lelouch realized it, drew to military attention and gave a crisp salute. "As you command, Zero."

With that exchange finished, Kallen turned back and made her way to where the _Nishiki_ was waiting for her. For a few seconds, Lelouch watched her from behind his mask and said nothing, but then when he knew it was time he too turned and came over to the zip line that would draw him up to the _Gawain_'s cockpit.

So set on their objectives were they, that neither of them noticed Rikichi Shirogane watching them from a few meters away, letting off a distinctive sneer as he moved to board his own _Isshiki_.

* * *

**Pearl Harbor Naval Base**  
**County of Crusoe, Area 7 (Sandwich Islands), Holy Britannian Empire**  
**April 10, 2025 a.t.b.**

In little over an hour the command center of Pearl Harbor had become alight with activity as various officials went about their duties, all working in the face of an incoming battle with an unknown force off the coast. The map at the center was evident of the fact enough, as it displayed the massive "blob" that reflected the mysterious cloud that continued to block all sensor readings, while a collective fleet of Britannian sea and airships were moving to intercept it from all directions but the south, drawing closer to the cloud with each passing minute. Sensor operators took in data carried over from the front ships and nearby sensor posts, communicators kept bringing in reports from the front ships while relaying orders in turn and tactical officers all took the information in while putting together the plans for attack; all differing actions that cumulated to the defense of Area 7 and the hope for the present Britannian naval and air arms deflecting this still unidentified threat. After all, this would be the first attempted foreign invasion of Area 7 since it had been established, and there was not an Britannian present who did not wish it to be recorded in the history books as a victory for the Empire.

Amidst the activity, Admiral Husband E. Kimmel, 10th Duke of Connecticut and Commander-in-Chief of the Britannian Pacific Fleet, observed it all with a narrowed, dour gaze, sitting back on the rather large and ornate command chair situated in the rear of the room. At the ripe old age of seventy-two, Kimmel was one of the Crown's most seasoned officers, having participated in every major war Britannia had been involved in since the first Great World War. He held experience in ship-to-ship warfare, amphibious invasion, sea-to-land air assault thanks to his last command aboard the carrier _Warspite_, and just for the occasion, base defense. Just as well, Kimmel had fought against nearly every type of opponent imaginable, from the various European nations to the Chinese, and even the Israelis and Arabs during Operation Lionheart, the conquest of the Middle East into Area 18 not too long ago. Thus, he saw the current threat no different than any other battle he had participated in and his opponents no different than any other enemy he had faced and vanquished. Even if this was the Pendragon strike force as his Air Force counterpart, Major General Short, believed it to be, Kimmel was far from intimidated; if anything, he looked forward to obliterating the enemy that not even Princess Cornelia nor Prince Schneizel could destroy.

If there was anything that annoyed Kimmel, it was the damn waiting before his naval forces and Short's air forces came into firing range of the cloud. Yes, those ships would manage to intercept the enemy force before they could even come in sight of Area 7, but it would still be several minutes before any engagement could be made. Even in his old age Kimmel hated waiting on anything, especially a battle, as the more time there was before shots could be fired, the more time his adversaries had to make last minute changes to their battle plans, which more often than not led to their general favor in the long run. _Had this been fifty years ago, the enemy would have been reduced to floating debris by now. One would think His Majesty's Navy was made up of children in this day and age._

"How much longer before our ships make contact?" Kimmel asked loudly, his voice doing little to hide his agitation from those around him.

"Approximately seven minutes and thirty-four seconds Admiral." came the reply from a sensor officer which Kimmel didn't recognize. "Enemy units have yet to emerge from the cloud."

"I can see that Ensign." Kimmel rolled his eyes at the obviousness. Upon that action, he noticed his aide, Lieutenant Peter Fairbanks, looking rather nervous as he watched the tacscreen. More out of annoyance than curiosity, Kimmel asked. "Is there something the matter Lieutenant?"

"It's nothing Admiral, it's just…" Fairbanks replied. "What if this really is the Pendragon force we're fighting against?"

"So what if it is?" Kimmel looked over with a raised eyebrow as he took out his antique smoking pipe. "It's not like we're going to have a repeat of Pendragon here."

Needless to say, Fairbanks did not share his superior's optimism. "What makes you believe that Admiral?"

"Because Pendragon was a fluke Peter." Kimmel spoke as if it were a simple fact while he struck a match on a nearby rail and lit his pipe. "A fluke that was only accomplished by two factors: the element of surprise and lax defense on the Capital Guard's part."

He then gestured toward the screen. "As you can see, this time we know that they're coming and our ships are in the process of intercepting them as we speak. Therefore the fluke will not be repeated here in Area 7."

"But Admiral, Prince Schneizel has already reported the enemy battleship was using active stealth in order to slip through our defenses." Fairbanks pointed out. "Why would they go to all the trouble of creating a visible cloud if that's the case?"

Kimmel leered toward his aide. "It should be obvious even to you Peter. They've brought a few more ships along for this attack, and they don't want us to know their exact number; while their active stealth can blind sensors, it can't do so to the naked eye and our spotters would be more than able to identify how many ships they have in their force."

"And just how many do you believe there are sir?" Fairbanks inquired.

Kimmel shrugged. "My guess would be two or three more. Since they only used one during the Pendragon attack, I doubt they have too many other ships to spare. Really Peter, you have nothing to worry about; they may have been able to escape His Highness Prince Schneizel before, but this time we have more ships and we know exactly where they are…"

"Sonar contact!" a sensor officer reported. "Single faint contact, no identification."

"Location?" Kimmel demanded.

The sensor operator's eyes widened. "Sector Sigma Nine, depth one thousand meters and rising fast!"

"Mary mother of god…!" Fairbanks gasped, reflecting upon the realization of those present. "That's right off our coast!"

Like a puff of smoke, Kimmel's dour expression vanished as he realized something had made it past his net, the pipe almost falling out of his mouth. _Impossible! There shouldn't be any other ships_ _outside of that cloud, and we would have detected anything that moved away from it! _"Make of the intruder?"

"As I said sir, no exact ID, but it doesn't look like a sub." the sensor man let out with fear over his face. All eyes were now frozen on the red dot on the screen that represented the new ship, which was rising from the depths at a fast rate. "Six hundred meters… Five hundred meters… Four hundred meters… No…!"

"What is it!" Kimmel let out in a bark, an attempt to keep the dread out of his voice.

The sensorman did not even bother trying. "Sir, it's the Black Battleship!"

* * *

With a force akin to a whale breaching from under the depths, the _Ikaruga_ broke through the water's surface and took to the air, its air glide wings spread out as it ascended once more. To those that could see its ascension from the nearby islands, its form was something dark and terrible to behold, with its blackened hull evenly cast against the twilit sky like a great shadow descending upon the Earth, all the while the silver sigil on its bow shown outward prominently. And no sooner than it took the sky did it begin its attack, its main hyper-velocity cannon swiveling toward the distant Britannian installations and firing multiple shots, first striking the long-range communication arrays at either basin, and then striking different command centers such as the control tower at Hickham and the main HQ building at Pearl. And as the hypersonic warshots rained down on Area 7, knightmares began to take flight from the battleship's hold.

As the _Gawain_ lurched out from the _Ikaruga_'s catapult and into the cold evening sky, Lelouch allowed himself to grin from behind his mask. Although his plan was more simplistic than his usual schemes, as well as being based on the ancient and well used "Bait and Switch" tactic, it had all come together perfectly. The Britannians had been expecting the Black Knights to move against Area 7 from the cover of the cloud, expecting the cloud to exist solely for concealing enemy numbers and thus the said enemy would remain in the cloud until the main attack began. But in reality Lelouch never had the intention of doing so; in fact, while it was true that the cloud was meant to shroud them from Britannian sensors and reconnaissance craft, that was only half of its purpose. The other half was far more sinister: to misdirect the Britannians into believing they knew exactly where the enemy would move in to attack.

With the Britannians entirely set upon the cloud, Lelouch, like a magician manipulating a deck of cards, had the Black Knights move from behind the scene. Once a certain distance and position within Britannian territory had been reached, he had the _Ikaruga_ break off from the main taskforce and submerge, where it would travel the rest of its journey underwater while using the Gefjun Disturber to evade enemy sonar nets. Sure they had been detected before when employing that tactic, where the Britannians had used the jammed sonar as an indicator of the _Ikaruga_'s position, but this time with all focus kept on the cloud and the "fleet" of ships within it, the battleship's advance through enemy waters was all but assured. In fact, the Britannian commander had focused so many ships toward intercepting the cloud that he had unintentionally left a gaping hole in Area 7's defensive network, and the _Ikaruga_ had slipped through it without obstruction. And now the Black Knights were set upon the vulnerable enemy stronghold, of which a substantial amount of the Britannian Pacific Fleet still laid at anchor and only a rear guard to protect them all. Lelouch could not have hoped for a better result.

"Your mistake, Admiral Kimmel, was being too proactive." Lelouch spoke as he watched the island of Crusoe grow larger on his screen. In his mind's eye, he could just see the withered corpse that was the Pacific Fleet's commander gaping in paralyzed disbelief as the realization dawned on him. "You were so focused on keeping the perceived threat away from your territory that you never considered the possibility of a single force breaking off and attacking from your unguarded flank. Had you paid attention to the lessons taught at Pendragon and afterward, you would have been able to see us coming earlier, but I'm grateful that you didn't."

Around the _Gawain_ the Black Knights formed up, their knightmares falling into position one after the other. The _Guren Nishiki_ dropped down to Lelouch's right while the _Guren Isshikis_ of Zero Squadron came into a Flying V formation. The _Zangetsu_ remained just behind the front force, and the other squadrons adopted similar Flying V formations as they arranged themselves into their respective flight positions, all cumulating into a perfect attack formation. Lelouch had to admit that while he had known the Black Knights had evolved far from their original militia establishment over the last eight years, it was only now, just as they wear headed into battle, that he saw how far they had advanced into a true fighting force. But even with their parade-level organization, there was only one way for him to learn how they would fair against the Britannians firsthand, Pendragon notwithstanding.

"Gyoku One to all units…" Lelouch began, inwardly finding irony in his given callsign, which was the designation of the challenger King in Shogi. "Our objective is to destroy as much of Area 7's installations as possible before reinforcements from Britannia arrive. We have evaded the main enemy fleet, but regardless expect heavy resistance from the island itself. The Britannians are far from giving up this fight."

Sure enough, Kallen chimed in over broadband, voicing awareness of the new signals coming up on the forward knightmares' sensors. "Enemy knightmares incoming."

Upon her warning, Lelouch scanned the skies ahead of him and found a formation of _Sutherlands_ moving out to meet them. He knew this was only the first wave, that there were more knightmares back on Pearl. Fortunately Lelouch also knew the exact composition of the Britannian Pacific Fleet, and that there were no seventh or eighth generation knightmare frames among them. Thus, unless they were testing top secret units off the coast of Area 7, which Lelouch did not dismiss, there was no true threat.

Flipping a few switches, Lelouch activated the _Gawain_'s hadron cannons and began to charge them for full stream. The indicators soon reached full power, but it would still be several moments before Lelouch would be in range. Thus, his thumb rested over the triggers on his control sticks as he watched the knightmares draw closer and closer to death.

Again he felt discomfort weigh in on him, as he knew once he pulled the trigger he would be cutting off his past once and for all. He would once again be an enemy of Britannia, forced to live in the shadows and expect death at every turn, while those he had grown close to, even by little margin, would either believe him dead or a traitor depending upon whether his father chose to reveal his identity to the public or not. And much more, unlike during the Insurrection, he would not have Ashford Academy and his friends there to fall back on as Lelouch Lamperouge; this time he would only exist as Zero, the man who would bring chaos and destruction to the world in order to reform it. The whole idea felt damning to Lelouch to think about now, but then he remembered the ruins of Japan and knew, for whatever he would have to suffer underneath the mask, it was worth it if there would never be a second Devastation.

And then his sensors flashed: the enemy _Sutherlands_ were in range of his hadron cannons. Thus, he sent word to the rest of his forces. "Enemy within range. Weapons free. All Black Knights…" he spoke, once again knowing that there was no turning back from this. **_"…Engage!"_**

Pressing down on the trigger, twin crimson and black streams shot out of the _Gawain_'s shoulder assemblies and struck down the middle of the enemy formation, melting and obliterating any knightmare that was caught in their wakes. Soon enough the _Gurens_ each followed up with their own radiant wave surgers, adding their own streams to the _Gawain_'s, causing a multitude of explosions across the sky. The _Sutherlands_, seeing their numbers being depleted quickly, immediately broke formation while those with long-range cannons returned fire en masse.

In response to this, the Black Knights unanimously broke formation and prepared to enter close-range combat. Lelouch was the first, engaging his Spatha Luminous blades, and then closing the distance and cutting into several _Sutherlands_ as he flew past. They responded in kind, raining machine gun rounds and grenades at his direction, but in spite of the size and bulk of his knightmare, the former prince was able to evade most of the fire. He shot back with his hadrons again, destroying three more _Sutherlands_ in the process, while pulling away as six more broke off to attack him directly, apparently hoping their multidirectional assault at close-range would keep Lelouch from using his hadron cannons effectively.

_Fools…_ Lelouch thought disparagingly. He had trained with the best and had been considered among their level; as such, there was no way he would be overwhelmed by mere cannon fodder in antiquated machines. With certain deftness he fired off his left hand slash harkens and impaled them into one of the _Sutherlands_, smashing its head, one of the arms, and puncturing the superconductor drive three times. With little choice, the pilot ejected just as Lelouch ripped the digits out of the _Sutherland_'s broken hide, then switching back to his "Spatha" to slash into another one of its partners, leaving only two behind. Now seeing they were no match for the _Gawain_ at close-range, both _Sutherlands_ spread out in opposite directions while continuing to fire their machine guns at the black and gold giant. At that, Lelouch simply switched the hadrons to their scatter setting and fired twin shotgun bursts of blood red energy, which tore apart the Britannian knightmares with ease.

_We can't get held up here, otherwise they'll overwhelm us._ Lelouch thought as he finished off the knightmares, soon detecting more heading toward him. Even with the enemy king in sight, they still had go through the pawns before putting him in check. "Zero Squadron on me! We're going to move down the center and open a path."

* * *

"Acknowledged Gyoku One. Zero Squadron moving in." Kallen replied as she had her knightmare dive away from its latest kill to trail the _Gawain_. The rest of her squadron followed behind her, their own older model _Gurens_ managing to stay with her.

"My, that's a lot of bandits coming our way Lead." Liliana spoke up as she angled her _Isshiki_ out. In spite of the words she had spoken, the Britannian pilot showed no hesitance or fear in her tone; in fact, she seemed have been anticipating the destruction that was about to commence.

"Just means more for us to kill Rei Five." Kallen replied back, purposely ignoring the bloodlust in her subordinates' voice. Normally she couldn't stand being around the former-Purist-turned-Black-Knight for too long, much like the rest of her Squadron, but in a battle she had no problems having Liliana on her side. "Wipe them out!"

**"Roger!"** the other eleven pilots of Zero Squadron acknowledged their leader's command unanimously. At the same time, the _Gawain _fired another hadron blast at the formation of Britannian knightmares in front of it, while Kallen herself added a surger stream along with Lelouch's assault. In a matter of seconds, her shot bubbled the fifth generation knightmare's outer hide entirely, forcing its pilot to eject just as his frame exploded. Her squadmates followed her action up with their own firepower, raining surger streams and grenades down onto the hapless _Sutherlands_. In response to the incoming fire, the Britannian knightmares scattered like a swarm of flies, but even so still remained poised to keeping their enemy from charging through them. Soon it became a running battle, in which the thirteen knightmares were forced to fight their way through the Britannian horde.

Drawing her "Ryogo Otsugata Tozantou" fork knife, Kallen brought the _Guren_ up to full speed and blasted for a pack of _Sutherlands_ along her flight path. The _Sutherlands_ spotted her approach and started to fire at her with their machine guns, but Kallen moved too fast for them to get a clean lock on. When she got close enough to one, Kallen dashed at its side and slashed across its torso, bifurcating it in one strike. Because she didn't hit the main drive, the _Sutherland_ didn't explode, thus allowing its pilot to eject. With one down, Kallen quickly changed targets, this time jutting around another _Sutherland_ and sending a grenade directly into its head, obliterating the knightmare before its pilot could realize what had just happened.

More _Sutherlands_ flashed around her, most of them concentrated on other knightmares but more than a few of them were shooting at her as she and her squadron flew past. For a moment, Kallen checked her side monitor and saw that Alfred was still with her and that he was currently shooting back at the _Sutherlands_ with his grenade launcher. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the _Gurens_ belonging to Charmelle and Rikichi cleaving through several _Sutherlands_ at once with their surgers, while Liliana and Marika were firing grenades into other units. At this point she couldn't track the others' movements, but she imagined that they were all doing their respective jobs; after all, as Tayuya liked to remind everyone, killing Brits was their business, and at this point business was booming.

Then out of the surrounding melee another _Sutherland_ came hurtling toward her_ Guren _at a greater velocity than was standard for a fifth generation knightmare. Kallen deftly avoided the first few machine gun shots, and deflected more with her radiant wave shield. She then tried to twist around the _Sutherland_ and take it out point blank with the radiant wave surger, but the enemy pilot was observant enough to realize her plan of attack and so purposely kept the _Sutherland_ out of reach. At that, Kallen launched the surger forward with the rocket harken, but all she managed to catch was the _Sutherland_'s machine gun, which was abandoned just as Kallen sent radiation into it.

_This one's got some fight in it..._ Kallen thought, noticing the enemy pilot's apparent skill when compared to its comrades. Suddenly realizing his main weapon was lost, the _Sutherland_ folded out its stun tonfas and charged at the _Guren_, taking two swipes at Kallen's knightmare. Kallen dodged the first swipe efficiently and then used the fork knife to deflect the next swipe, before launching several rapid slashes in return. In turn, the _Sutherland_ leaped back to avoid her furious attack, but just as it did that, something that caught even Kallen off guard happened. Twin bursts of machine gun fire struck the _Sutherland_ from either direction in a sordid crossfire, riddling bullet holes all across the frame until the knightmare exploded from the damage. Kallen cringed to keep the explosion glare from her eyes, just barely making out the pair of _Isshikis_ moving in front of her.

"Thanks for playing decoy Lead." spoke Sakon in a vehement sounding tone.

"It made it easier for us to move in for the kill." spoke Ukon, also in a vehement sounding tone.

Then just as quickly as they came, the two _Isshikis_ shot off to find newer prey. Kallen sneered as she watched them depart. _They're good at fighting and that's all that's needed._ she thought, before turning back to the battle.

Suddenly her sensors picked up three more _Sutherlands_ incoming toward her direction. They were apparently armed with the "Sattel Waffen" missile packs because at the same time a target lock warning appeared on Kallen's monitor as the _Sutherlands_ unleashed a torrent of missiles. Kicking the _Guren_ back to full burn, Kallen flicked her knightmare around the missiles and then zoomed in on the nearest _Sutherland_. As she got closer she fired her surger into her target and boiled the entire upper half of the knightmare, causing it to hang in the air for a few moments before finally exploding. She then changed her flight path toward the second _Sutherland_ but did not reduce her speed, thus slamming her machine's right foot into the torso of the enemy knightmare, knocking it back. With her opponent incapacitated, she had no problem bring about her fork knife and cutting a deep wound across its metal hide, allowing the machine to fall from the sky from its wounds. She did not see if the enemy pilot ejected and once more she did not care; as far as she was concerned, this was war and she would show no mercy to the Britannians.

Whether out of fear or reflexive action, the third _Sutherland_ of the group launched the remainder of its missiles at the _Guren_ in near point blank range in a haphazard attempt to destroy it. The endeavor, naturally, was doomed to failure from the start, as Kallen simply raised her radiant wave shield and allowed the guided projectiles to explode harmlessly before they could even touch her knightmare. She then put the _Guren_ back up to speed and charged through the explosion, forced her way up to the now defenseless _Sutherland_ and ensnared it in her surger claw. A few moments later the blue knightmare had become a glowing red hue with every portion of its frame bulging from the induced radiation; it was such a familiar sight to Kallen now that she did not even think twice about it. Instead she let go of the knightmare to let it fall a few meters, as its float system had been burned with the rest of the machine, before it gave into its wounds and detonated.

Suddenly a larger missile zoomed past, barely missing the _Guren_ by a few meters. Realizing that the missile was not the same type normally utilized by a knightmare, Kallen turned to see where it had come from while executing evasive maneuvers. To her great surprise she saw an incoming squadron of _Spitfire II_ stealth fighters flying into the battle. Kallen looked with an arched eyebrow. _They're sending fighters to attack knightmares in the air? Huh?_

Originally fighters were the dominant power against knightmare frames, as knightmares, designed to fight against ground based targets such as infantry, tanks, and other knightmares lacked any effective weapons in dealing with craft capable of supersonic speeds and striking targets from higher altitudes with pinpoint accuracy. But then the invention of the float system and now the air glide wing system changed all that; while fighters still maintained an edge in speed, they were unable to match flight system equipped knightmares' ability to maneuver in three dimensions. Thus, Kallen was able to throw the _Guren_ into a sideways dash that effectively evaded the additional missiles and incoming fire from the fighters' onboard machine cannons, while allowing one such _Spitfire II_ to shoot past her. In turn she shot a surger blast right through the right engine of the fighter craft, incinerating its insides and causing it to explode in little more than milliseconds.

Quickly targeting another fighter, one that was about to turn around and swoop at her, Kallen switched over to her grenades and fired off two. The grenades sailed through the air and then hammered into the _Spitfire II's_ nose, exploding like a firecracker. Unfortunately from the explosion came a third _Spitfire II_, which immediately fired a hail of bullets right into the face of the _Guren Nishiki_.

"Like hell! I'm _not_ getting done in this early!" Kallen blurted out as she threw up her shield again to deflect the bullets. She then had the _Guren_ ascend and just as the fighter was about to pass her, slammed her claw against the cockpit area. Right after contact the fighter went into a spin and twirled toward the water below, its pilots remains firmly embedded against the sharpened digits of the radiant wave surger. Kallen felt a little sickened at that; yes, she had literally boiled humans alive in their cockpits with the device, and she had even had an enemy's blood splatter across her face from firing a pistol shot at point blank range, but she had never actually crushed another human being with her knightmare before.

But once more she chose to ignore those feelings, instead concentrating on the objective of breaking through the enemy lines and moving against their main base, which was still some distance away…

* * *

_Things are certainly off to a good start._ Viletta thought to herself as she maneuvered her personalized _Akatsuki_ _Jikisanshiyo_ through the onslaught. Though the enemy had thrown up a hardened defensive screen of knightmares and fighters, it was not as bad as it could have been; so far she had not seen any capital ships being deployed to intercept them, nor were there any knightmare types above fifth generation units present. In fact, there weren't even any _Gloucesters_, just _Sutherlands_. But Viletta knew it wouldn't be like that for long, and so she was determined to break through the Britannian lines with the rest of her squadron as soon as possible.

Viletta had to admit that it felt strangely refreshing to take part in a battle again, even if it was for the opposite side. While she did value her peaceful life and hoped to return to it soon enough, she was still a soldier at heart and felt at place when fighting against an enemy, whether be it the "savage Elevens" or an evil empire hell bent on world domination. And as a bonus, this battle was on the offensive scale for her side, as it was the Britannians that had to defend their fortress against the Black Knights' advance, and there was a certain satisfaction in laying an enemy fortress to waste. In light of that objective, Viletta had chosen to outfit her _Akatsuki_ with a bazooka in place of the standard radiant wave rockets. Though bulky and cumbersome, very few things could stand up to a bazooka shot; not even capital ships or bunkers could effectively weather a blow from a large kinetic shell travelling at high speed and velocity, that is unless they were protected by Blaze Luminous shields.

"They're holding strong Kyosha Lead." one of the 9th pilots stated as he evaded fire from a group of _Sutherlands_.

"Of course they are Kyosha Seven. They're our former countrymen." Viletta replied back sharply as she weaved through the enemy attacks. "All units maintain the offensive. We have to break through at all costs!"

Upon the sighting of incoming _Sutherlands_ in the distance, Viletta brought about her bazooka and then carefully targeted the weapon. When her reticule went red, she fired off a shell and watched it rip through the torso of one _Sutherland_, sending its remains flying in all directions. Just after that attack her sensors warned her about another _Sutherland_ coming at her from the side; reacting fast, she twisted her _Akatsuki_ and let rip with her left arm mounted handgun, peppering the knightmare with bullet holes and sending it dropping to the sea below. Her unit was equipped with a katen yaibatou, but Viletta wasn't entirely sure of her skills with the weapon at this time; at least for this battle she would keep enemies in close quarters at bay with her gunnery weapons and slash harken as opposed to the Japanese styled chain sword.

Her sensors quickly beeped off a warning, forcing her to throw up her radiant wave shield to deflect incoming fire. Two more _Sutherlands_, these equipped with bazookas like her own, were now firing shells at her. Growling in annoyance, she put her _Akatsuki_ into a barrel roll, bringing her out of either knightmares' sights long enough to return fire at the light blue colored knightmares. Both frames quickly abandoned their advances to execute evasive maneuvers, and that was when Viletta went on the offensive, sniping one down with her bazooka and then closing the gap on the other and letting loose a quick barrage from her handgun. The Britannian machine crumpled as a result, though Viletta decided to move on before seeing whether the _Sutherland_ exploded or fell from the sky like her earlier kill.

It did not take very long at all for her computer to pick up five incoming _Sutherlands_ above her, all raining machine gun fire at her direction. That made her arch an eyebrow in surprise as she began executing maneuvers to avoid their fire; how had she attracted the attention of five enemy units to gang up on her? _This could be problematic._

Having no option but to fight, she took aim with her bazooka and squeezed off a shot that completely obliterated the _Sutherland_ she suspected was the leader of the small group. Not wanting to end up like their comrade, the other four scattered and moved to attack her at different angles. At that point she realized two of them had missile launchers because they fired a combined spray of missiles at her, causing her to reverse her flight and let loose with her handgun again. The shells easily ripped through the missile swarm, destroying them; unfortunately, the _Sutherlands_ used the resulting flares as cover so that they could close in and attack her with their stun tonfas. It was obvious that the Britannian pilots knew she would not be able to fight well at close-range due to the bulk of her bazooka, even if she could draw her katen yaibatou in time to meet them head on. Swearing loudly, Viletta once more fired back with her handgun, but the enemy pilots were able to evade her fire and charge at her all the same.

Knowing that her radiant wave shield only covered the front of her knightmare, and that her four Britannian opponents were coming at her from all directions, Viletta took advantage of her knightmare's superior mobility and shot off into a straight climb. She then twisted around and fired off a bullet spray, managing to catch one in the cockpit block and kill the pilot inside as evidenced by the machine becoming still after, but the other three were able to evade and chase after her. Now starting to become angered over the fact she was being hounded by three antiquated _Sutherlands_, she kept up her maneuvering and returning fire, gunslinging between her bazooka and her handgun to conserve ammo. But even as she blasted off limbs and broke armored plates, the three _Sutherlands_ kept trying to close the gap and attack her at melee level.

_I am NOT going to be held up before the main battle begins!_ Viletta's mind roared at her enemies. At that, she pulled a maneuver that surprised even her. Putting her _Jikisanshiyo_ into overdrive, Viletta shot at the middle _Sutherland_ and upon reaching it, _slammed_ the barrel of her bazooka right into the enemy machine's chest with a great 'boom'. At point blank range, she wasted no time in pulling the trigger and blowing apart the entire upper portion of the knightmare including the cockpit block.

The shock of her attack was so great that the other two knightmares, for the briefest of moments, ceased in their movements. At that, Viletta let loose her handgun into one machine, blowing off its head and putting multiple warshots into its torso, eventually causing an explosion that knocked the knightmare out of the air, and then just as quickly fired another bullet spray into the opposite _Sutherland_, which detonated just as it was about to redraw its machine gun. With that completed, Viletta set off once more as the Black Knights began to break through and make their advance.

* * *

**Hickam Air Base**  
**County of Crusoe, Area 7 (Sandwich Islands), Holy Britannian Empire**  
**April 10, 2025 a.t.b.**

It had been minutes into the battle and Short still could not believe what was happening. Just when it seemed like they had the enemy cornered, the infamous Black Battleship came right out of nowhere and had launched an assault force at them. Yes, Short had believed that in spite of Admiral Kimmel's reassurances that there was more to the enemy's plan than met the eye, but even he had not expected such a daring direct attack on Area 7, and now his side was paying for it with their defenses greatly deprived and both Pearl Harbor and Hickham open for attack. And to compound the matter, the battleship had destroyed the long-range radio transmitters on the island, and thus there was no way for Short to recall his forces chasing the cloud.

"They've broken through our line!" a sensor operator shouted in near hysteria. Sure enough, the main monitor displayed the enemy in red dots beginning to make their way past the remaining Britannian blue dots, now advancing at full speed toward the island practically unabated.

"Send up the second wave and engage all baseline defense systems! If it has wings, I want it airborne now!" Short commanded, pushing aside his inner dread to maintain the commanding image necessary to hold everything together. No matter what he was feeling on the inside, he would be damned before losing his composure, especially in the face of an incoming threat. "Reinforcements will arrive from the homeland soon, we just have to hold them here long enough!"

"General, I'm picking up additional signals launching from the Black Battleship, moving toward us faster than any knightmare…" another operator reported, looking over his screen to verify what was heading toward them now. When the data finally came in, his expression turned to horror. "They're cruise missiles!"

"Shoot them down, damn it!" Short roared the command, but upon seeing their number on the screen, he knew it would do little good. _"SHOOT THEM DOWN!"_

Sure enough, one such missile came plowing into Hickham's command center only moments later, breaking through every defensive layer the building possessed until it drove all the way through to the nerve center and detonated. The very last thing Short saw before the world went white was that the enemy knightmares were beginning to make landfall on Area 7.

* * *

The explosions from the _Ikaruga_'s cruise missile attack played on Lelouch's screens like the fireworks of the Day of the Founding not too long ago. Even from the distance, he could almost feel the vibrations reach through the _Gawain_ and touch his skin, the same way they would have had he been right in the midst of them. That had been the final charge of the battering ram that broke the fortress gates: with that single barrage, the island's main defenses had been put out of commission, opening the way for the Black Knights to dive in and attack the very heart of the Britannian basins. It had not taken out the entirety of the enemy's defensive power, but it would be enough to stage a direct assault.

"Gyoku One to all units. The gate has fallen. Advance." he called out over the Black Knights' main frequency. Upon his command, the Black Knight units flew toward the island one after the other like birds of prey flying toward a fresh kill, their black frames cast against the setting sun like shadows. One after another, they began their attack runs, striking random buildings and ships in the harbor with much furor, whatever enemy force coming out to meet them being all but effortlessly dispatched. For a moment, Lelouch allowed the _Gawain_ to hover in the air and watch as the main portion of his grand strategy began to play out, much like an artist judging his own work. He only felt pride at seeing it all play out, a pride similar to how he felt upon witnessing the beginning of the Black Rebellion, in spite of what had preceded that event. It was a satisfying feeling to him, one that he was conscious enough not to let himself get drowned on, but at the same time allowed to play out through his heart and mind if only temporarily.

And yet he also knew that victory was not assured just yet. There were still many unknowns that could play out, namely toward the eventual reinforcements that would arrive from Britannia. Lelouch was properly prepared to deal with any other units of the pacific fleet should they arrive, but he had absolutely no idea what would come from across the east; the best scenario would simply be additional ships and fifth generation knightmares, but he doubted that. If anything, Lelouch wouldn't have been surprised if they sent newer generation knightmares or knight giga fortresses like the one Kallen fought before, or far worse, Knights of the Round.

That last thought inadvertently made Lelouch's stomach cringe as he wondered: would Suzaku be among the forces sent? The possibility was quite likely, as his one time friend and comrade would easily deduce who was attacking Pearl and would immediately realize Zero had returned, thus necessitating his presence here. At that, Lelouch wondered if he would be able to face him in battle with clear focus, as well as Gino and Anya should they join the fray. Certainly he had come a long way in terms of fighting skills, and he had handled himself well against either of those three in past sparring, but would he be able to do so now without his emotions getting in the way?

Lelouch wasn't sure to any of it, but he had a feeling he would find out soon enough, whether here at Pearl or elsewhere. For the moment however, he would choose to continue the battle until victory was achieved, as his path was now set and his war now in full swing.

With that, the _Gawain_ swooped down into the chaos that had befallen the island of Crusoe, just as the sun finally disappeared entirely into the horizon and darkness reigned supreme.

* * *

TO BE CONTINUED…

**Author's Notes:** People have been complimenting me for adding references to _Naruto_ and _Bleach_ to this story, so here I decided to take a bit from _One Piece_ and complete the Shounen Trinity. In this case the reference is a bit more indirect, that being Lelouch's bait and switch strategy, which was based on Whitebeard's entrance at the onset of the Whitebeard War. For those who haven't read the Marineford arc of _One Piece_, Whitebeard used the bulk of his fleet to distract the Marines' flotilla while his personal taskforce snuck into Marineford underwater and attacked the main Marine forces from within. Likewise, the _Ikaruga_'s surfacing was inspired by the _Moby Dick_'s infamous "breaching" during that event.

And on C.C.'s scene, I will admit firsthand that due to my lacking affiliation with any French speakers, I used an English-French online translator for those lines and thus apologize for butchering another language.


	14. Chapter 14: Operation Tsunami

_"A military man can scarcely pride himself on having 'smitten a sleeping enemy'; it is more a matter of shame, simply, for the one smitten."  
_- Isoroku Yamamoto

**Chapter 14: Operation Tsunami**

**Pearl Harbor Naval Base  
County of Crusoe, Area 7 (Sandwich Islands), Holy Britannian Empire  
April 10, 2025 a.t.b.**

The inferno burned without relent. It had been active for no more than several minutes, but that had been more than enough time for it to gain power and spread across the compound as the Black Knights sewed destruction into the very soil of the island. On nearly all quarters of the island basin, _Akatsukis_ flew or sped across the ground at a myriad of targets, their black armor making them nearly invisible when cast against the darkness; only their vibrant orange mono-eyes, the heated glow of their katen yaibatous and the muzzle flashes of their firearms made them distinguishable from the rest of the emptiness. The Britannians, meanwhile, retained their superior numbers as they had in the majority of the past battles, yet were still easily overwhelmed by the sudden strike, their chain of command cut off and their individual units unable to formulate an effective counteroffensive. One after another, Britannian knightmares, tanks, VTOLs, ships and installations were being destroyed in rapid succession.

And yet, compared to the fires around him, the one that raged inside Rikichi Shirogane's soul felt far more powerful, almost overwhelmingly. With a certain viciousness that made the other Black Knights look tranquil in comparison, the youth prowled the sky for his next prey like a bloodthirsty hawk, the piercing orange glow of his knightmare's mono-eye almost reflecting his own gaze. He had already killed five _Sutherlands_ since this battle had begun, but that was far from enough for him; he would continue until there were literally hundreds if not thousands of kills to his name. And with each victim, the fire within only demanded more sacrifice.

Kicking his _Guren Isshiki_ into a high speed flight alongside his squadmate Charmelle's unit, he thrust out with his surger at a nearby group of _Sutherlands_ and let loose a beam, forcing the Britannian knightmares to scatter like a flock of birds avoiding a thrown rock. Three of the enemy knightmares attempted to gun down the two Black Knight units in the process, but Charmelle easily barrel rolled away from the line of fire while Rikichi threw up his radiant wave shield as he charged. A side effect of this course of action was that none of the Britannians were expecting it, and so Rikichi managed to close the gap between his unit and one of the _Sutherlands_ in a near instant, where he proceeded to slash the enemy knightmare through the middle. It exploded into a fireball not long after, but by that point Rikichi was already looking for his next victim among the herd.

_To think I used to be scared shitless of these things._ Rikichi thought with a vehement sneer, remembering for a moment how he, like many other Japanese, had looked upon the _Sutherland_ with pure terror, its articulated Van Dyke faceplate having been a common image in his nightmares. That had been a long time ago, and back then he had been weak and powerless; now he was a Black Knight, and that faceplate looked far less intimidating.

In a flash, he cut into two more _Sutherlands_ with his knife, none of them having been quick enough to deflect his "Ryogo Otsugata Tozantou" slashes with their stun tonfas. His next target however, remained distant and tried to hit him with a rifle launched grenade, but Rikichi had been quick enough to raise his radiant wave shield and deflect the blast. No more than a millisecond after he dropped his shield did he raise his surger once more and blasted that _Sutherland_ with a rapid fire burst, riddling it across the front. By some miracle the cockpit section managed to eject before the frame finally exploded.

At the sight of the helpless cockpit block floating in the air as parachutes deployed to keep it afloat, Rikichi gained a far more bloodthirsty grin than what someone of his age should have held. Bringing his surger back to his side, he charged at the all too vulnerable cockpit block, planning to either grasp the block itself and fry it or simply cut down the parachutes with his knife and let the whole thing free fall; at the current altitude, he had no doubts the Britannian pilot would die on impact if not from the accumulated g-forces. He also had no doubts that the pilot was now shitting his flight suit at the sight of the red knightmare moving in for the kill.

But just as he was about to strike, he saw Charmelle move in and deflect his attack, right before the other _Guren_ delivered a solid kick its comrade's torso, sending it flying back several meters. _"Kisama!"_ Rikichi blared over the radio in a mixture of confusion and rage.

"You may be a bastard at times Rei Four, but there is no honor or reason in that course of action." Charmelle stated with in a cold, intolerant tone that was completely opposite of her usual nature. Not taking any risks with her unstable wingman, she had her _Isshiki_ point its own surger at its partner challengingly.

"There is nothing more honorable than ridding the world of _kasu_ such as that!" Rikichi bellowed with hate, bringing his own surger around with certain malevolence. "If you wish to die with him, then I...!"

"Save it." Charmelle interrupted before Rikichi could say any more. Her knightmare's head then turned to the right as if to look in the distance. "I'm picking up more bogeys in Sector Gamma Six. Follow me and don't say another word."

Rikichi could only watch as the opposing _Guren_ then turned and began to fly away toward those coordinates, its air glide thrusters at full burn. For a moment, he was tempted to turn around and use his grenade launcher on the still helpless cockpit pod, which had now dropped further in altitude, but that temptation was soon crushed as he knew he would end up having to fight his wingman once he performed the deed. And as much as he hated Britannians, especially the ones that had joined the Black Knights, Rikichi did not want to go up against Charmelle Finlay, who before the Devastation had been near admission to the Knights of the Round, in a straight fight. But that didn't mean Rikichi wouldn't relish killing her and those like her should an opportunity ever arise, a line of thinking he did not immediately dismiss as he had his _Guren_ form up with his wingman.

There were of course reasons behind the young Black Knight's animosity. Though he had little memory of what Japan had been like before the Britannians conquered it, as he had only been born five years prior, his grandfather had made sure that Rikichi had been instilled with his race's history and culture from a young age. Hayato Shirogane, a war veteran that had served his country faithfully in China, was a gruff old man whose aged physical frailty did nothing to break his spirit nor the loyalty and patriotism he held for his nation, and as far back as Rikichi could remember his grandfather labored hard to instill all of those things in him. In his younger days Rikichi did not take his lessons too seriously, but as he got older and saw more of what his nation as compared to how his grandfather remembered it, he gained more and more interest. As such, by the time his grandfather had died at the age of seventy-eight, Rikichi had inherited his warrior's spirit and his love for Japan, as well as his great distaste toward the _gaijin_ that exploited his nation for its riches. The latter was something the elder Hayato never held back in displaying his hatred of.

Of course, even his grandfather could not prepare him for the harsh reality of the times. As with all Japanese, the Shiroganes were regularly harassed and persecuted for their heritage; even the title of "Honorary Britannian", which Rikichi's father and mother both worked hard to gain, and the privilege of being allowed to live in Tokyo Settlement as opposed to a ghetto could not save them from the harsh treatment and abuses they received from their conquerors on a regular basis. Yet it was not the abuses that stung Rikichi as much as his having to watch his mother and father pretend nothing ever happened; even when their house had been broken into and burglarized, his parents had both simply sighed and stated they had a long night of clean up to do, refusing to show any outrage over the incident. They had not even called the police to report it, even when Rikichi urged them. Through that 'incident' and those similar, Rikichi watched as the Britannians forced more and more injustices upon his family and his people, all the while his hatred grew each time. It would not be long before he finally resolved in himself that he too would join in the rebellion against Britannia.

Years later, Zero would announce himself to the world, performing such miracles as assassinating Viceroy Clovis, liberating Suzaku Kururugi from execution, humiliating the Purist Faction of the Britannian Imperial Army, and most famously forming the Black Knights. All throughout these deeds, Zero's infamy and fame grew amongst the Japanese, and even Rikichi had to admit that he idolized Zero at first. But then his hero worship would soon come to an end when Zero would announce that he was not Japanese, and that the Black Knights were made up of peoples of all races. While this only made Zero more popular with his followers, Rikichi soon found himself hating and suspecting the masked vigilante. After all, he was a _gaijin_, and _gaijin_ had a long history of exploiting and manipulating the Japanese to their own ends; as such Zero was no different from the Britannians in Rikichi's eyes. And yet while he came to detest Zero, the young Japanese patriot found a whole new reason to become a fan of the Black Knights.

Like almost every other resident of Japan, he had seen the videos of the _Guren_'s exploits perhaps a million times, from evening news reports to viral videos over the web. He had only watched in awe as he saw the crimson knightmare, which had been dubbed _Akaryu_ or "Red Dragon" by its fans as its true name had been unknown at the time, tear through squads of _Sutherlands_ without ever breaking. He would become totally enamored whenever the knightmare would grasp a _Sutherland_ in its arm claw and literally boil the blue armor from the inside out, just like the fire breath of a true dragon. And even further, Rikichi would find himself cheering the blood red _mecha_ on when it went up against its main enemy, the white armored _Lancelot_, Britannia's champion in Japan. To Rikichi, the Red Dragon that he knew virtually nothing about would come to represent the fighting spirit of the Japanese, just like the ancient samurai warriors that his grandfather would tell him stories of, as well as his own reason to fight and hope for a future in which the Japanese would regain their land and their freedom. As such, Rikichi would soon set his sights upon joining the Black Knights.

Unfortunately, while he himself had the willingness to step into the fight, as well as to leave his comfortable life behind to bring about justice, there was only one factor that kept Rikichi from joining the Black Knights early on: his age. He had only been twelve years old at that time, and even with their limited manpower, the Black Knights' leadership refused him because of it. That was yet another reason for his hatred toward _gaijin_; had the Black Knights been an entirely Japanese organization, trivial things like age would not have mattered so much as the will to fight. In ancient Japanese culture, boys were trained and often sent out to battle at even younger ages than twelve, whereas Britannians looked down upon such practice as "barbaric" and "savage". Rikichi of course argued his case, but his reasons only fell on deaf ears, and in the end he was forced to remain in his normal life, holding some hope that the Black Knights would succeed without him, yet also holding great rage over how he would never be able to prove his loyalty to his country.

Little did he know that everything would soon change, literally overnight. When news of the SAZ came around, Rikichi had been livid; after his side had fought so hard and lost so much, they were going to throw it all away just for a fake freedom based on the pretty words of a Britannian princess. Sure enough in the end, the SAZ turned out to be a trick meant to kill as many Japanese as possible, the arm holding the proverbial olive branch having cleverly shielded the arm that bared the raised sword; fortunately the Black Knights were on the scene to stop it before the entire crowd was slaughtered. Rikichi wasn't surprised by that in the least unlike his parents; after all, the Britannians made a habit out of killing Japanese en masse, it was probably instinctive for them to gun down his people at first sight. Princess Euphemia had only been acting in her true nature, quite befitting of her later epithet Massacre Princess.

Thus came the Black Rebellion, which was meant to be the final battle that saw Japan's liberation from Britannia, but instead only brought about its destruction through the Devastation. Rikichi could still remember what he was doing when the Devastation hit; he had just willed himself into going into the kitchen and making himself a ramen dinner, all the while hoping the carnage outside spared his house. The next thing he realized he had been picked up by rescue workers from the rubble and brought to a nearby medical VTOL before blacking out again. When he woke up once more, he had been informed that just as the Black Knights were coming upon their final push to victory, the Britannians had detonated the sakuradite reserves within the islands and caused mass destruction throughout, killing all but a few thousand in the process. The casualty list had included Rikichi's parents as well, causing two distinctive feelings within the boy: despair over the loss of everything he held precious, and fury at those that robbed him and his people one final time. But even with those feelings welled up within his soul, Rikichi could not find an answer to the next thought that weighed on him: what could he do from there?

A sudden warning from his sensors snapped Rikichi out of his ramifications. He and Charmelle had now come over Ford Island, the naval air station of Pearl Harbor, where several other Black Knight units were also attacking. From there, Rikichi soon found the origin of the warning: a flight of _Lightning II_ multirole stealth fighters had detected their approach and had just switched over to their active radars to lock on to them; as such, it was only now that they were detectable to the _Gurens'_ sensors. Rikichi cursed at how the Britannians were still utilizing passive stealth aircraft, even after the Imperial Air Force had begun fielding float system equipped knightmares for its main forces, before cursing Colonel Chawla for not developing an effective sensor system to counter it.

"Scatter!" Charmelle commanded, immediately putting her _Guren_ into a barrel roll to the side. Rikichi imitated the maneuver in the opposite direction, just as the _Lightning IIs_ began launching missiles at them, two missiles each. Switching over to his surger again, Rikichi unleashed a stream over the oncoming projectiles, managing to detonate them one after the other, but by that point the Britannian fighters had closed the distance and were continuing to attack with their own cannons. At that, Rikichi immediately threw up his radiant wave shield to deflect the incoming bullets, dropped down several meters in altitude and fired back, ripping one fighter across the underbelly in the process. The other attempted to swing around and avenge its comrade, but Rikichi, in one of his own daring maneuvers, brandished his fork knife again and made a similar charge, only to invert his knightmare at the last second and downwardly cut off the _Lightning II_'s left wing. From there, the enemy fighter spiraled out of control and crashed in another part of the base, while Rikichi went on to look for more targets.

Ironically, it was only when the Black Knights began to reform in the face of the Devastation did they allow Rikichi to join their ranks. At that time Rikichi had been fourteen, but his boyhood days might as well had been over, as everything from his previous life was gone; all that remained was the prospect of avenging his nation against those that destroyed it. Like the others in his class, this became the initial source of his motivation, pushing him forward in his studies and his training, both of which threatened to overwhelm him and force him out of the lineup. But Rikichi persisted, continually driving himself until he came out at the top of his class, noted for his skill in CQC, and even more so for his skill in a knightmare frame. On the latter, his instructor once remarked that Rikichi could have seriously given Suzaku Kururugi a run for his money; Rikichi did not fail to see the glow in that compliment, and for a brief moment he had wondered if he would ever get the chance to fight the White Knight of Britannia and put down the traitor once and for all. The thought certainly warmed his heart on the inside, but not as much as when he first heard his post graduation assignment: 0 Knightmare Squadron "Rei", the infamous Zero Squadron.

It was then that he finally met _her_.

Once more like the other fresh recruits, it had greatly surprised Rikichi to learn that the pilot of the _Akaryu_, or the _Guren Nishiki_ as it was so officially named, was a woman. But despite his shock, he had literally fallen in love at first sight of the recently promoted Major Kallen Kouzuki. She was strong, determined and possessing a fiery spirit like no other; the very things Rikichi had come to emphasize the Japanese as a whole she held within herself and displayed like a banner both in and out of the cockpit. Even her Britannian features did nothing to take away from those character traits, and soon enough Rikichi became blind to that and her past life as a Britannian heiress, becoming completely devoted to following her commands and carrying out the objectives she laid out. Unfortunately he had yet to get her to see him the way he saw her, but that didn't matter for the time being; sooner or later things would change, and Rikichi was, if anything, always focused on bringing about necessary change.

But whereas he idolized his CO and felt proud to be part of an elite fighting force, Zero Squadron was still considered Zero's personal vanguard even after his capture to the Britannians; even the _shinigami_ displayed in the unit's insignia held some likeness to the masked man's profile. Despite his pride, Rikichi chafed at being part of the unit that served as that man's personal lapdogs, and the Major doing nothing to change any of it only made him feel more aggravated. It especially didn't help that the other members, from the surviving veterans to the newer members and even the former Imperials, all idolized the phantom and all but outright swore their undying loyalty to his service; Rikichi would sooner return to his status as an Eleven than even consider becoming like them. Needless to say, Rikichi was both proud and shamed by his assignment in Zero Squadron, yet at the same time he was unwilling to leave the service of Major Kouzuki, who he continued to idolize to this day. It was the ultimate Catch-22, and the youngest member of the unit doubted he would be able to figure it out anytime soon, at least compared to his _real_ personal objectives...

Switching from his air glide wing system to his landspinners as he touched the ground, Rikichi sped across the airfield without hesitance. Immediately a float-less _Sutherland_ saw him incoming and attempted to level its machine gun at him, but Rikichi simply speared the machine with a lance of scarlet energy as he passed. Soon after his sensors bleeped out another warning that he was being targeted, and Rikichi was just able to turn to his left flank and throw up his radiant wave shield in time to absorb a pair of cannon shots from a _Challenger II_ main battle tank. While the electromagnetically accelerated shot failed to pierce his shield, it caused the _Guren_ to recoil greatly as well as violently shake its pilot from his feet upward, but he managed to maintain control all the same.

"Goddamn antique!" Rikichi roared with annoyance, quickly recovering his balance. He then twisted his left arm up and fired a grenade, causing the tank to erupt in flames. Much to the Black Knight's satisfaction.

From there, Rikichi began sweeping his surger across the nearby hangars, each of which exploded from his attack. Every now and then some sort of vehicle would try to escape from the hangars he was attacking, normally a knightmare, but they would only end up being caught in his fire, one victim after another. In the midst of his blitzkrieg, Rikichi inadvertently swept his beam into a nearby group of fuel tanks, adding onto the fire that surrounded him and the other Black Knights in their attack, as well as causing more Britannians to flee out of their respective buildings and barriers on foot. At that Rikichi once more remembered the Devastation, only now it was the Britannians' turn to burn in the flames.

_I will never rest until all of Britannia, no, the Earth itself is consumed in that same fire_. Rikichi thought, subconsciously seeing the flames before him spread from Britannia to Europe and beyond. Even as more knightmares came to attack him and Charmelle had joined him, those flames remained dancing in his eyes.

Therein laid the core of Rikichi Shirogane's spirit, the very force that now drove him to continue fighting the good fight even after he lost so much. He did not simply wish to avenge Japan's destruction, nor would he be content to see his nation simply reborn. Instead, he fought for a single dream for the future; a future in which all of mankind was brought to yield to Japan's power and majesty through the Black Knights. As with the great phoenix, it was Japan's destiny to rise up from the ashes of the Devastation, but instead of holding the exact same power as it had before, its flames would be even stronger and hotter, and they would spread over all corners of the globe until its power and dominance over the rest of humanity were unquestionable. It would only be then, when its authority was absolute and the very _gaijin_ that exploited, enslaved and annihilated the Japanese for their treasures would be forced to answer for their crimes tenfold, that Japan would at long last be avenged and the future would be secure for Rikichi's descendents.

Yet at the same time Rikichi knew he had much to do before that future could occur. He knew many of his so-called "comrades" did not share his vision, as they had grown far too tolerant and comfortable around their former Britannian oppressors and the other foreign trash that welled up within their midst; as such, the Black Knights would first have to be cleansed of the _gaijin_ cancer that had spread throughout its ranks, from the lowest Private to those in the High Command, until only Japanese remained. That of course would take time to implement, but Rikichi knew where to start, the single shot he would have to fire to change everything for the better. And even as he continued his fight with the enemies around him, he could not keep that single thought, the first step toward his and Japan's destiny that had yet to be made, from entering his mind, nor another smile from forming in reaction.

_First, I will destroy Zero..._

* * *

The crimsons streams washed over the _Sutherland_ force in a great cascade, causing their frames to melt around them and their superconductor drives to destabilize, before they exploded near simultaneously. Through the smoke and fire, the _Gawain_ emerged like a demon, its onyx armor illuminated from its surroundings, ruby colored eyes aglow with vehemence and Spatha Luminous shining golden. More knightmares and VTOLs opened fire against it, but the black and gold knightmare was in motion long before they had pulled their respective triggers, and in a near instant later, it charged through the formation, slashing each enemy frame as it passed. The last one attempted to evade, but in spite of its larger size the _Gawain_ was much faster, and that unit soon joined its comrades in oblivion.

All the while he fought with the rest of his army and lived up to his proverbial title as King, Lelouch's gaze did not shift away from the images that were being transmitted through his knightmare's Druid System directly into his mask. For most humans, it would have been impossible to divide attention equally between personal combat and tactical analysis of the battlefield, but through his own intellect Lelouch had long adjusted to doing both at the same time. He also had to admit that the HMDS in his mask helped greatly; as it synchronized its own Druid System with the _Gawain_'s, Lelouch was able to "see" directly through his knightmare's optics as if they were his own eyes, as well as get direct readouts from its other sensors without having to shift his gaze from one display panel to the other. Not only that, but he could also get data streams directly from the _Ikaruga_'s own Druid System as he had during the ambush over the Pacific, thus increasing Lelouch's awareness over the battlefield even further. The only issue he had with the entire system was Lelouch was unable see the surrounding cockpit and thus had to operate the instruments through touch and physical memory alone; while it didn't hinder his capabilities in the slightest as he had long memorized the _Gawain_'s control setup, it was still something he had yet to get entirely used to.

However, even without the aid of his mask and the advanced sensory units tied into it, Lelouch could clearly see that the battle was going his side's way. Much of the basin was on fire now, as the Black Knights had been thorough in their blitzkrieg, wiping out the primary command centers and built-in defensive systems upon their initial attack; now they were setting to work on the airfields, shipyards, dry docks and other areas that were essential to maintaining the Britannian Pacific Fleet. The remaining defenders, who still held an impressive arsenal of knightmares, armor, aircraft and capital ships at their disposal, were doing all they could to hold the line and repel the invaders, but without a central commander to organize them they were little more than severed nerves acting without input from the brain, flopping around helpless and without direction. At the current rate, Lelouch estimated that the battle would be over in just under an hour, assuming that reinforcements did not arrive from the mainland or the original force Kimmel had sent to intercept the Black Knights were able to escape the trap Lelouch had prepared for them and return to support their home basin. Overall things were going well, but Lelouch knew better than to believe Murphy's Law had been entirely evaded, especially after his experiences in Japan and North Africa.

At the present time, Lelouch found himself coming over the famous Battleship Row, the stretch of water that divided Ford Island from the eastern edge of the harbor. The area had been so named back in Great World War I, when some Admiral whose name Lelouch could not remember had arranged a small fleet of battleships to be moored there in a double line formation to conserve docking space; since then the Britannians had made it something of a tradition to moor ships in that same area and arrangement, even when the retirement of the last Britannian naval battleship was long past. And so it was now, with two full lines of _Daring_-class destroyers and an _Empress Elizabeth_-class battlecarrier at the head of the line. Once more Lelouch had to silently thank Admiral Kimmel, whether he was still alive or not, for being a staunch holder of naval traditions even when it was strategically unsound; had Lelouch been in command of Pearl, he would never have arranged his anchored fleet in such a vulnerable and isolated area, nor would he have grouped them together so tightly that they would make such easy targets for aerial combatants. Of course, none of it really mattered when faced against the _Gawain_'s hadron cannons.

Immediately another squad of knightmares, this time being a combined unit of _Sutherlands_ and _Gloucesters_, the latter being the first Lelouch had seen since the battle had begun, emerged to stop him. Lelouch sneered from behind his mask as he was forced to evade the machine gun fire as well as the lance units' charges, two of the latter he took down with his own blades. He then switched his hadron cannons over to scatter mode and fired a full burst that wiped away the majority of the enemy knightmares attacking him, while the rest were still damaged in some way such as limbs being blown off. Nonetheless, those remaining continued their attack runs, forcing Lelouch to finish them off with his hadrons on full stream setting, aiming the streams individually and at different angles as opposed to just letting them fire straight ahead. One after another the streams intercepted the Britannian units, only briefly covering them but still long enough to superheat their outer shell and internal mechanics, causing them to explode after moments had passed. But even as Lelouch destroyed them, his sensors were already picking up more enemy knightmares heading at his direction; as such, he had to work quickly in sinking the enemy warships, which he put the _Gawain_ into a steep dive toward.

The ships below responded in kind, firing bursts from their VLS and CIWS at the black and gold titan. With a practiced hand, Lelouch stormed forward while deftly evading the bullets and missiles as they surged at him from the eight destroyers and single carrier, utilizing more than a few maneuvers he had learned from Bismarck and/or in Africa in the process. Unfortunately, this kept him from getting a direct target lock, even though he was well within range to use the hadron cannons, and needless to say he couldn't get close enough to use his Spatha Luminous or slash harkens either. In spite of all that, Lelouch couldn't help but smirk a little at the Britannian crews' diligent defense from below. _They're well aware of what this machine is capable of and are basing their firing pattern around it. Very skillful, more than I would have expected of the Pacific Fleet. It's too bad they're not Black Knights..._

Even with that in mind however, the enemy did not know _everything_ that the _Gawain_ was capable of, and as a result Lelouch decided now was the best time to test out the latest addition to his knightmare's arsenal. Much to the surprise of those watching below, the advanced sixth generation knightmare suddenly stopped in its maneuvers just as another swarm of missiles threatened to encompass it, having just enough time to reach out with its right hand before the projectiles closed in like sharks to a bloodied carcass and detonated in near simultaneous fashion. At first the Britannian ship crews believed it was a definite kill, but then much to their collective confusion, the _Gawain_, totally unscathed and now surrounded by a grouping of golden hexagon-shaped energy shields around its outstretched hand, burst out from the smoke clouds and returned to a steep dive. And with that, the ships resumed their fire, but every missile, bullet and shell that was launched at the _Gawain_ was easily deflected by the golden shields.

"Gyoku One to _Ikaruga_, is Shakti with you?" Lelouch called out over a direct line to the _Ikaruga_ just as he slammed through the hull of one of the destroyers and forced an entry into its hangar deck, using the shields as a battering ram. Though he knew whoever picked up on his signal wouldn't understand it, there was only one member of the Black Knights who freely used the Hindu Mother Goddess' name as a callsign without fearing karmic reprisal.

"Always and ever, Gyoku One." Rakshata replied as her vidscreen appeared at the corner of Lelouch's HMDS, showing a full view of her lounging on her couch on the _Ikaruga_'s bridge, right hand idly holding her tobacco pipe. Even Lelouch couldn't help but grin at how familiar that whole image appeared from the latter days of the Insurrection. "And how is my little Absolute Defense Field working for you?"

"Well up to my expectations of you. It is indeed the perfect defense." Lelouch replied as he had the shields separate and scatter at different angles to deflect the oncoming fire from machine gun armed troops and other present knightmares, further displayed by the _Gawain_ weaving its arm about like an orchestra conductor, as if to command the shields physically. Even when a nearby _Portman II_ fired its onboard ordinance into one of the golden hexagons, the shield remained entirely unfazed. "My only concern is that it takes a lot of power to maintain."

"Unfortunately there was nothing I could do about that, without siphoning power away from your other systems anyway. I'm afraid even the superconductor drive has its limitations." Rakshata stated with a shrug while absent mindedly balancing her pipe on her index fingertip. "But that shouldn't be too much of a hassle for you, considering you _can_ actually evade attacks now as opposed to eight years ago."

"Heh." Lelouch replied as he fired his left hand slash harkens into a nearby section of the hangar, smashing a nearby catwalk and the attackers on it. His performance in a _Burai_ during the Insurrection was one of the things he did not like talking about, and the fact Rakshata was freely talking about in front of the whole bridge crew did not help matters. "Yes, I admit I was a lacking pilot back then."

"Let me put it to you this way: I likely spent more time recovering and repairing that _Burai_ than I ever did working on the _Guren_." Rakshata said matter of factly, looking fully delighted that she found a sore spot in Zero's ironclad demeanor.

"If you say so Shakti. Gyoku One out." Lelouch signed off rather bluntly, before the conversation could go any further. Not that he had time for it to begin with, as he was still in the middle of a fierce battle.

In an instant, he dropped his shields and fired his hadrons once more in their stream mode, sending the crimson beams through the forward section of the destroyer and vaporizing everything there. However, the streams did not stop once they reached the destroyer's bridge, instead continuing until they shot into the next destroyer in the line, and continuing down from there until all ships in the line were consumed in the blood red energy and secondary explosions. After that, Lelouch reengaged his float system and had the _Gawain_ lift off the deck, then turn to the left at ninety degrees while the hadron cannons were still active; the result was the twin streams grazing across the second line of ships, one after the other, until the near entirety of Battleship Row was ablaze with the rest of the harbor and the stricken vessels began to sink into the cold Pacific waters.

Like a firebird, the _Gawain_ rose from the ruined destroyer it had infiltrated, the flames once more illuminating its black visage and its pigeon blood eyes for all to behold and despair. Another group of missiles shot after it, which Lelouch immediately shot down with a scatter shot from his cannons, before charging toward their origin: the lone carrier, which had been at the head of the line and somehow spared the destruction that had consumed its brethren. As he approached the trimaran carrier, whose hull was alight with fire from its missile launchers and CIWS and its remaining onboard knightmares launching one after another, Lelouch once more engaged the Absolute Defense Field, forming a collective shield in front of the _Gawain_'s left hand that deflected the incoming missiles and bullets with ease, while the right arm Spatha Luminous remained active. Almost daringly, Lelouch charged through the barrage, using his shield to deflect enemy fire while he systematically cut down any knightmare that tried attacking him up close with the "Spatha", akin in form to a mounted knight running through enemy lines.

Soon enough the _Gawain_ fought its way to a position directly above the carrier's flight deck, where Lelouch had it hold its position. He then switched the hadron cannons over to their burst mode, taking a few moments to charge them before launching two crimson and black orbs of energy straight into the ship below. Immediately the orbs burned right through the deck and down into the hangar areas below, just before they detonated and two red dome shaped energy blasts erupted from inside the carrier, breaking the once mighty carrier into three portions from the sheer power. Secondary explosions soon followed across the segments as power systems and ammunition stores detonated from shock and/or heat, with the bow section being consumed entirely from its bridge tower to its keel, ensuring that there would be no survivors and little debris remaining.

After taking a moment to watch the battlecarrier's death throes, Lelouch once again received a comm. message, this time from Lieutenant Mutsuki. "_Ikaruga_ to Gyoku One, we have enemy forces building up in Sector Kappa Nine. Looks like base reinforcements."

"Acknowledged _Ikaruga_." Lelouch replied, taking the information in to formulate his next strategy. But before he could go further on that, he suddenly remembered something else. "Any sign of outside reinforcements?"

"Not ye... Wait...!" Mutsuki stopped in midsentence, before new readings came in and her tone shifted to one of urgency. "There's an airship group incoming from Sector Theta Seven! It's a patrol force of _Caerleon_ destroyers!"

In truth, Lelouch was already aware of the incoming airships as his mask was still tied in to the _Ikaruga_'s Druid System, but there was no way Mutsuki would have known that. Indeed, the enemy ships were on a direct course to Pearl, and if that wasn't indication enough that they had somehow been informed of the attack before the basin communication systems had been destroyed, they were moving at flanking speed. But even with that readout, Mutsuki's own confirmation and the potential shift those reinforcements would bring to the battle, Lelouch's mouth folded into its trademark grin; once more, things were going exactly to plan. _A little earlier than I expected, but so much the better..._

"C.C.!"

* * *

"Acknowledged." C.C. replied simply to Lelouch's call as her own knightmare's sensors picked up on the incoming ships. She then switched comm. channel to her own unit's. "Hannya Leader to squadron, we've been given our first targets. Move into _Engetsu_ Formation and prepare to engage."

Following her orders, the twelve _Akatsuki Seisoukenshikis_ of the Black Knights' 13th Knightmare Squadron "Hannya" quickly broke into action, speeding across the sky in formation, until reaching a certain point where they broke formation and moved outward from each other. From there, they would move to certain designated points of their own until they arranged themselves into the perfect crescent, one that would encompass their approaching targets over a considerable area.

As soon as the arrangement was completed, C.C. then flipped a switch on her control panel and waited for a monocular targeting display to fold out from the side of the cockpit and over her right eye, providing a direct video feed of the triplet _Caerleons_ for her to see along with a targeting reticule placed around the center one. The other eleven followed her command as well, engaging their own targeting displays while raising their "Daikyu" linear rifles up and leveling them toward the direction of the incoming ships, the rifle barrels extending in attack mode. From their greater altitude and the fact that each _Seisoukenshiki_ was shrouded from sensors by a miniaturized Gefjun Disturber, it was almost guaranteed that the crews of those destroyers would not know what hit them until the fire literally came raining down over them. Needless to say, the Hannya pilots were each looking forward to the event.

Even with the great distance between them, C.C. could see the three destroyers in great detail, from their dark gray and golden tipped hulls to their center catapult decks. On the latter, the ships were not yet launching knightmares, the captains obviously wanting to get as close to Pearl as possible before deploying their onboard units. They also had yet to raise their Blaze Luminous shields, most likely because they were still a fair distance from the combat area; as such, they were quite vulnerable to the _Seisoukenshikis'_ electromagnetic accelerated ordinance and well within range to be hit. But even so, she held back on the order to fire, at least momentarily.

Switching her targeting display over to tactical mode for a moment, C.C. gazed over the black and purple gridded tacmap, which displayed her squadron as a crescent shaped row of red triangles, while the three incoming destroyers were shown as yellow rectangles. After a moment of taking in the data, C.C. spoke once more. "Hannyas Two through Four, target Destroyer One, float units only. Five through Eight, you have Destroyer Two, and Nine through Twelve have Destroyer Three; you may target any area of opportunity."

"Any special reason you want us to target those specific areas on Destroyer One, Hannya Lead?" Captain Rachel Lowell, 13th Squadron's XO and C.C.'s own wingman, callsign "Hannya Two", asked with a bit of wonder in her tone. There was little doubt that the other Hannya pilots were wondering the same thing.

C.C. only smiled in response. "You'll know the reason soon enough Two." She then switched back to her main targeting mode, once more giving a clear view of the Britannian ships. "All units wait for my signal."

Upon her uttering the command, C.C. could feel her perception of time slow down as adrenaline augmented her senses, all the while her heart ironically quickened. Now was the most vital part of her plan, waiting for the precise moment to strike. She held her fire and waited, along with the rest of her squadron, until the enemy ships reached an appropriate distance, like an archer in a tree overlooking a passing caravan, all the while mentally counting down as the numbers representing the enemy ships' distance from her position continued to decrease. And she knew she had to precise, as depending on when she gave the order to fire, _all_ targets would be struck or just the three ships.

And then, the numbers finally dropped down to what C.C. had been waiting on, and a voice in her head had proclaimed **"Now"**. she wasted no time in shouting the order. _"FIRE!"_

With that, the twelve "Daikyu" linear rifles each fired out, their respective rounds launched out at nearly several times the speed of sound and with laser-like velocity. No more than a millisecond later, the rounds impacted, slamming into the hulls of their respective targets with no apparent hindrance and at the complete surprise of the enemy. The damage soon became quite apparent, as the second and third destroyers each veered off from their courses toward different directions, smoke and secondary explosions billowing out from their hulls, the resulting booms sounding like the death cries of a pair of dying beasts. The most those ships could hope for was to make it down to the sea and crash land, but that possibility diminished quickly as the "Hannya" pilots assigned to them continued firing, raining more death and destruction upon those ships. Eventually the continuous fire caused one to break into two halves that fell into the ocean and the other to roll onto its side from a massive explosion, right before its own crash landing.

The first destroyer, however, was an entirely different case. As C.C. had ordered, its float system had been targeted only, thus causing the ship to lose control of its movement and direction, but because it had been flying at such a high velocity when it had been struck, it seemingly did not deter from its original course even as it began to lose altitude. Now with only Newtonian law driving it forward, the _Caerleon_ continued on its vector with the grace and stability of a thrown rock, all the while its inertia caused it to only gain flight speed.

At first Rachel and Hannyas Three and Four moved in to finish it off, but were stopped when they spotted their commander's _Akatsuki_ raise its hand. "Lead?" Rachel stammered in clear confusion.

"Just wait for it..." C.C. offered in reply.

And it was only a second later that they realized exactly why. Right before it had a chance to crash into the ocean, the out of control _Caerleon_ made landfall over Crusoe, continuing on its descent at such a rate that it soon became perfectly angled to crash into a certain installation: Wheeler Air Base, or more formally Imperial Army Air Station Wheeler, the main army installation on Crusoe. Up until this point, it had remained untouched by the Black Knights' attack, which instead concentrated on Pearl itself, but now that was about to change as a flaming metal hulk, one longer than two hundred meters and weighing well over twenty-three thousand metric tons, was about to fall on top of it like Wormwood.

Seconds later, amidst the vast amount of anti-aircraft fire and units and personnel scrambling to get out of ground zero, the _Caerleon_ came to the end of its descent, crashing right in the middle of the air station with enough force to destabilize its fuel centers, power systems and ammunition stores, creating a massive chain reaction that caused the entire vessel to detonate. The resulting force caused a massive shockwave, similar in power and effect to a Raikou detonation, that overtook the entirety of Wheeler in milliseconds, vaporizing every structure and unfortunate soul that was caught in its wake. Seconds later, the massive yellow and white light diminished, replaced only by a mushroom cloud, one eerily similar to those left behind by the Devastation, and a massive crater where the Imperial Army basin and several acres of forest had once existed.

As she watched the glow of the detonation die down, C.C. couldn't help but marvel at Lelouch's brilliance once more. Even with the _Ikaruga_'s carrying capacity, her contracted partner had determined well before the attack that his forces did not have the necessary strength to assault Pearl and Wheeler simultaneously, especially when there were two other airbases, Kaneohe and Ewa, to be dealt with elsewhere on the island. And much more the entirety of the Raikou arsenal had been spent during and after the strike on Pendragon, thus keeping Lelouch from employing any more for this operation. As such, he instead came up with this little scheme, first predicting the exact point in which the northern reinforcements would appear as well as their strength and number, and then utilizing physical law and probability to calculate the exact vector in which one of the ships could be transformed into a makeshift bomb and sent to freefall on Wheeler. The end result only spoke for itself.

Disengaging her targeting display and ignoring the drawn out awes of her squad, she switched comm. channels again. "Hannya One to Gyoku One, objective complete. A little much though, even for you."

"Really? I thought it was one of my more minute strategies when compared to what I did at Narita and the Black Rebellion." Lelouch replied on the other end offhandedly. "Besides, as easy as it would have been to just have your unit rain down on that base, the 'Daikyu' carries a limited ammunition load, and you still have other objectives..."

"Yes yes I know." C.C. replied. After hitting Wheeler, she was to divide her squad in half, each of which would launch attacks on either Kaneohe and Ewa airbases. Both had only been attacked with cruise missiles from the _Ikaruga_ at this point in time, which in turn only had limited effectiveness, thus necessitating pinpoint high altitude strikes from 13th Squadron. "Has there been any word on eastern movements?"

"Not yet, but it's only a matter of time." Lelouch said. "For now though, move onto your next target set; the sooner those bases are neutralized, the sooner we finish here."

"I figured that part out." C.C. stated in turn before signing off. She then switched comm. channels back to her squadron and proceeded to give them their new orders.

* * *

**Belial Palace  
Pendragon, Holy Britannian Empire  
April 11, 2025 a.t.b.**

_"Suzaku..."_

_"Yes... Euphie?"_

_"The Ceremony... Did it go alright...? Is Japan okay?"_

_"Euphie... don't you remember?"_

_"How was the ceremony? Did you think I did... okay?"_

_"Euphie, the Special Zone is..."_

_"..."_

_"...a great success! The Japanese people were given back their home, and you did it!"_

_"...Oh, thank God...!"_

_"Euphie..."_

_"...How strange...I can't see...your face anymore..."_

_"...!"_

_"...Keep going...to school...I had to stop...before I...before I had the chance to finish..."_

_"Euphie, you can still go yourself! I know, why don't we go to Ashford Academy together? The Student Council is so much fun! Euphie...!"_

_"You have to do it... for me... 'kay?"_

_"Please Euphie! No, don't go!"_

_"Oh, Suzaku... I'm so happy...to have...met...you..."_

**_"EUPHIE!"_**

Crying out her name almost in a howl, Suzaku bolted up from his slumber. His breathing rapid and sweat pouring from his forehead, it took him more than a few moments to calm down, even after he had realized it was only a dream. But even that knowledge bore no comfort to him.

Eyes adjusting to the darkness quite easily, he managed to bring himself into a sitting position on the side of the bed, looking out at the interior of the master bedroom. He knew at this point it would be impossible to fall asleep again; he was still tired from the day, but the dream, the very nightmare that had haunted him for eight years, was quite effective in keeping Suzaku from his slumber after running its course. This was coupled with Suzaku's fear that, should he fall asleep again, he would likely have another dream just like it, another nightmare that forced him to relive the most horrific moments of his past. After all, he had so many of them.

Slowly, he got up from his bed, allowing himself to relax a little once he felt cool air touch his bare chest. He relaxed even further at the sound of rain hitting the palace roof and the accompanying reverberations of thunder, both products of a storm that had been dwelling above Pendragon over the past few days, perhaps a forerunner to the coming monsoon season. But even those things failed to completely erase the images in Suzaku's mind; the image of the pale and weakening Princess Euphemia in the _Avalon_'s sickbay was especially prominent, and even now Suzaku could still see the light dimming from her eyes and eyelids drifting downward as she murmured her last few words. Suddenly feeling as though the image threatened overtake him at the memory, Suzaku threw himself to his feet, intent on finding some way to drown it out.

After putting on a robe, he marched to the bathroom, this time actually turning the light on. Straining his eyes to adjust to the unnatural brightness, he turned on the faucet and splashed cold water on his face in an effort to force himself more fully awake and feel refreshed at the same time. Once he had splashed himself a few times, he finally allowed his eyes to look into the mirror and draw in what was reflected on its surface, an act that he silently had dreaded.

Soon enough, he saw his image in the mirror; brown hair of a lighter shade than most Japanese, dark green eyes, slightly tanned skin from spending three years in North Africa, and a well structured face that would have constituted _bishounen_ status back in his homeland, as in his youth some had compared him to a famous _manga_ character in terms of handsomeness and beauty. No sign of scarring through some miraculous miracle, even after all those times in which one of the _Lancelot_'s cockpit instruments exploded and rained shards all over his face and body. And there was certainly no sign of excessive age in his features, which he had expected somewhat; he was still twenty-two after all. For all intents and purposes Suzaku should have been pleased with what he saw, yet as he continued to stare hard into the mirror, he only felt himself grow cold as he realized just how much he had changed over the short amount of time.

No more than eight years ago the face in front of him had been completely different, just as he had been a completely different person. Eight years ago, his features would have been soft and warm to behold, representing an individual that was pleasant and friendly to those around him. Yes he had felt the darkness of the world at that time, as his father's murder had happened no more than seven years prior, just as he had been forced to endure the status of a traitor among his people, but during his time at Ashford Academy or even when he had only been test piloting the _Lancelot_, none of that had reached him, and that fact showed prominently in his expression to others. It was that soft, friendly and partially awkward gaze that had reconnected him with Lelouch and Nunnally, had gained him friendships with Milly and the other Student Council members and had earned him the interest of Lloyd and Cecile as colleagues. It had been his hopeful smile and charm that had established him as an icon to both Britannia and his own people, being the lone Eleven that had worked his way up through sheer determination and made something of himself, becoming both an example of what could be gained through working for Britannia and a hero for all Honorary Britannians to endeavor toward. And above all else, it had been his kindness and gentleness, even amongst the darkness he felt within, that had caused Euphie to fall in love with him and attempt to save him in her own way.

But that was all gone now. Instead of that soft expression, his face was hardened from experience and constant bloodshed, giving off the image of a man that knew not peace. His eyes, once bright and filled with hope, were now darkened from reality and gave off a seemingly eternal leer, something that was dreadful for others to behold and could not possibly have been consistent with the elements that made a human being; yes, his eyes alone were entirely unrecognizable from what he remembered of them. As for his other features, such as his nose, hair and cheekbones, they had all been altered over time, having grown more prominently through his passage to adulthood, yet still enhancing the dark image that Suzaku now projected, a grim visage that grew and encompassed his being like an aura. And no matter how much he may have wished it, Suzaku knew that it would forever remain as that, that it was impossible for him to revert back into the person he once was. That Suzaku Kururugi was long dead; all that remained was the man looking back from the mirror.

Suddenly feeling rage overtake him at the sight of his reflection, Suzaku cringed with anger, drew a fist and in one lightning fast effort slammed it into the mirror. Through his sheer strength the mirror cracked in a spider web, fragmenting his reflection into a million pieces as well, Suzaku's knuckles now partially bleeding from the impact. But even so, he did not feel the pain in his hand, nor his own hyperventilated breathing and quickened heartbeat. Instead, his concentration remained on the mirror, as amidst the cracked reflective glass, he could still see his eyes look back at him; the same dead, hardened eyes that beheld no hope nor light, gaze back from the abyss. And along with that reflection, he once beheld the image of his late father, as if he were standing right beside him and looking into the mirror to meet his son's gaze, looking back with the very same eyes. All as if to emphasize on how much Suzaku had become just like him, the very same man that would have sacrificed his entire nation as well as shed innocent blood for the sake of spiting his enemies.

In that moment, Suzaku remembered Bismarck's warning to him, that he was falling into madness, and that if left unchecked, it would only bring harm to him and those around him. Suzaku had been aware of it for a long time, his father's frequent appearances to him being evident enough of it, but now he had progressed to the point that others had taken notice. Not that it mattered anymore; no matter how well meaning his superior had been in offering his wisdom, Suzaku knew all too well that it was too late save him from his rightful damnation...

Then at long last something snapped him back to reality: the sound of a call coming in through his video monitor. Finding himself wondering who would be calling him at this time of the morning, Suzaku turned away from the shattered mirror and looked at the screen, before tapping the "answer" button. The next thing he saw was the face of Prince Schneizel. "What can I do for you, Your Highness?" Suzaku asked as the face appeared.

"I'm sorry if I have awakened you Suzaku, but I am afraid the situation is most dire." Schneizel said, speaking in his usual tone of voice, yet Suzaku could detect certain urgency coming from underneath it. "I have just received word that Area 7 has come under attack."

If there was any lingering exhaustion within Suzaku at that time, then Schneizel's words had brushed it away, causing the Knight of the Round to come to full attention. "Is it...?"

Schneizel nodded grimly. "Yes, it is the same force that attacked Pendragon not long ago. The data we've received before communications were cut indicates the Black Battleship and the same knightmare type are being used for the attack. And also..."

"...Yes?" Suzaku asked with great hesitation. Even before Schneizel spoke the next few words, he could already feel what he was about to tell him, yet prayed to _Kami_ that it wasn't what he thought.

"...One of the enemy knightmares has been identified as the _Gawain_." Schneizel replied.

Suzaku didn't know what had kept him standing at that point, but he knew it hadn't been his own strength. Yes, Schneizel had not specified who exactly was piloting the _Gawain_, and he didn't have to. In that exact moment, Suzaku realized who was leading the attack, as there was only one man who had both the guts and the genius to attack the most heavily guarded fortress in the Pacific and successfully pull it off. The very event that he had been dreading for the past eight years, the very thing that he had proclaimed had been impossible no more than a few days ago, had finally happened, no matter how much the Knight of Seven wished it not to be true.

In that instant, he once more saw Genbu's image in the shattered mirror, as if he were still standing right beside him and looking into the mirror to meet Suzaku's eyes. Instead of speaking any taunting words about Suzaku's past and present foolishness, his long list of crimes or how far he had fallen, the specter only gazed down at him, as if he were standing on a high pedestal overlooking his son, while his lips slowly folded into a domineering smile. That single action was all Suzaku needed to understand; Genbu's prophecy had come true in spite of Suzaku's own claims to the contrary, and now he was driving the point home. That just as when he had been a child, Suzaku was powerless to defy him.

After forcing himself to cringe to drive the image of his late father away, Suzaku quickly snapped to military readiness and stated to the Prince. "I will head out in the _Lancelot_ as soon as I am ready!"

"Good." Schneizel acknowledged in turn. "Unfortunately, I have only been able to call upon the _Avalon_ and three other ships, the _Plymouth_, _Haverhill_ and _Southampton_, for our initial counterattack as most of our home guard forces remain spread across the continent. However, I believe they are enough to at least hold the enemy for the time being."

"Have you been able to call upon other Knights of the Round?" Suzaku inquired.

"Only Gino and Anya. I have yet been able to contact the others." Schneizel answered, before proceeding. "Once you're airborne, rendezvous with the _Avalon_ over Edwards. She will take you the rest of the way."

Suzaku didn't like the way the Prince sounded. "Will you be there as well Your Highness?"

Schneizel closed his eyes. "I'm afraid not, as I will be needed here to organize a more formal response force. Colonel Earhart will be in command in my stead." His eyes then opened again and narrowed as they detected the unease in Suzaku's form. "Yes I know you would rather I lead this directly Suzaku, but for the time being you and the others will have to hold the line without my command. I have faith that you will be able to accomplish this."

In spite of the reinforcing nature of the Prince's words, Suzaku only felt his internals clench further; it was bad enough that his worst nightmare was returning to restart where things left off eight years ago, but now the best man to lead the Britannian forces against him would not be present. But even so, he fought back against the despair, which only fed upon his knowledge of the current events and seemingly grew tenfold, before accepting Schneizel's words with a nod. "I will not fail you, my liege."

Schneizel nodded in turn. "You never have, Suzaku. I do not expect you to now."

The Prince then signed off, leaving the Knight of Seven to hurriedly slip out of his robe and into his pilot suit before running to Belial Palace's hangar wing where the _Lancelot_ was kept. All throughout, Suzaku could not keep the dread out of his heart, as he stepped forward to challenge the Legion of his past, now seemingly led by his most hated enemy once again.

The shattered mirror only continued to hold his broken reflection until he left.

* * *

**Pearl Harbor Naval Base  
County of Crusoe, Area 7 (Sandwich Islands), Holy Britannian Empire  
April 10, 2025 a.t.b.**

With spectacular finesse the _Guren_ _Nishiki_ and its accompanying _Guren Isshiki_ sibling spiraled around the incoming fire of the enemy _Sutherland_ unit, utilizing their air glide wing systems at full capacity to flit across the sky in crisscrossing crimson lines. The Britannian knightmares, now seeing quite clearly that their firepower was not hindering their targets in the least, soon scattered from the whole as the two Black Knights charged through, taking a few down with their respective melee and projectile based weapons along the way. The rift was only punctuated further when the _Guren_ reached out and ensnared one of the fleeing _Sutherlands_ before letting loose its radiant wave surger, boiling the enemy knightmare until its armor bubbled, its internal mechanics melted and its power systems destabilized, causing the entire frame to explode in a matter of seconds.

Kallen could only let off a predatory growl of hate in the glare of the explosion, just as she saw the _Sutherlands_ regroup to try and surround her and Alfred; as much as she hated to compliment the Britannians on anything, she admitted they had guts for fighting back when it was apparent that they couldn't win. Granted they were more than likely buying time until reinforcements from the mainland arrived, but the fact they were still willing to fight when their base had long been decimated and their numbers only thinning was only a testament to the bravery and diligence of the Britannian soldiers. And yet it was the same bravery and diligence that annoyed Kallen into outright bitterness, as the battle would have been long over had those same soldiers simply turned and ran back to their homeland or, even better, surrendered. Only _more_ reasons to hate Britannians.

"Rei Leader, your left!" she heard Alfred call out over the radio. Upon that warning, Kallen twisted her _Guren_ around and let loose a radiant wave stream toward the specified direction, where a pair of _Sutherlands_ had been attempting to attack her flank. One boiled under the stream like its comrade before, while the other lost its right arm and machine gun but managed to escape certain death. At least momentarily, as it was soon caught in a surger blast from Alfred's _Isshiki_. From there, Alfred drew back his main weapon and charged forward, destroying several more knightmares along the way, while Kallen joined him from the rear with her own fork knife. Before they could proceed further however, both knightmares' sensors alerted their respective pilots to the presence of missile locks, forcing both to evade as a barrage of missiles emerged from nearby SAM emplacements, all the while more knightmares moved into meet them.

Kallen only seethed further at the presence of additional knightmares standing in the way of her objective, that being the submarine docks at the foot of the harbor. In fact, they were both close enough to their targets that Kallen could visually depict several black shapes in the distance, all "safely" docked in their respective pens like housed animals. Her computer identified the ones closest to her position as newer model _Astute_-class attack submarines, but it wouldn't have been surprising if there were other classes there as well. All were inactive and vulnerable, with their only protection being the nearby knightmares and defensive emplacements.

Though she had been only ten years old at the time, Kallen remembered how Britannian submarines had played a pivotal role in the invasion of Japan, both to suppress the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force and to transport Imperial Marines for amphibious landings. In fact, she had mused earlier that these may very well be the same ships from that conflict and perhaps even the Devastation, as she remembered several of the Britannian ships garrisoned in Japan had managed to put out to sea just before the final order was carried out; that very possibility caused her teeth to grind in anger, as it meant these ships were responsible for her homeland's subjugation, yet managed to escape its destruction when several million innocents perished with it. Whether that was true or not, she would not allow them to escape her, but first she had to break through the barrier.

"Bank left and climb Rei Two." she ordered Alfred before setting her radiant wave surger to its spray setting. When the _Isshiki_ did just as she had commanded, she let loose a widened funnel of blood red energy onto the Britannians to her front, causing their knightmares to freeze in place while any of the missiles that had been shot at her prematurely detonated. With nothing standing between them now, the _Gurens_ launched forward toward their targets.

Kallen attacked first by firing another radiant wave stream along the back of an _Astute_, burning a bright red line across the black hull and causing massive secondary explosions to break from the rift, eventually overtaking the entire submarine. She followed this firing pattern up with several other submarines, while Alfred used his own surger to damage to even more, causing additional fires to overtake the docks and nearby buildings. Whatever knightmares that attempted to intervene as either Zero Squadron knightmare went on the spree was quickly and efficiently dealt with.

Immediately after dispatching another _Astute_, Kallen dropped her altitude and touched ground, quickly switching from her air glide system to her landspinners. She then sped across the dock and fired another crimson stream into a nearby building, likely a supply depot, causing it to rupture and explode as the munitions within it detonated from the excessive heat. That was when, straight of the fire, came two new knightmare frames to challenge her. Before she knew what was happening, Kallen knocked one attacker aside with her fork knife and then formed a radiation barrier from her surger with the second. The two knightmares rebounded from the defense and that was when Kallen got a good look at them. _What the-?_

They both clearly had the frame of a _Sutherland_, yet with a totally different configuration. Their armor was smoother, more streamlined around the torso and the legs, while their heads were distinctively humanoid like most custom Britannian frames, possessing two camera eyes along with the forehead mounted factsphere sensor. Their arms, while mostly standard line for _Sutherlands_, noticeably held what looked like Blaze Luminous generators, while the hands each grasped a maser vibration sword and the back cockpit pods both held a standard float system. Beyond that, their own different point from each other were their color schemes: one was painted in white with blue trim while the other held a dark navy blue. When pitted against the surrounding flames however, it was their neon green eyes that stood out the most, which seemed to glow bright with vehemence.

Before Kallen realized it, the two higher end _Sutherlands_ began moving again, this time engaging their float systems and flying at her at ground level. In response, Kallen fired the _Guren_'s thrusters to perform a little bunny hop away from the charging knightmares, at the same time firing another radiant wave stream. Unfortunately, both knightmares had no trouble dodging her shot, zig-zagging around in perfect synchronization as they advanced toward their prey. At that, Kallen switched her surger to scatter mode again and shot another wide funnel of radiation meant to disable the enemy knightmares' electronics, but again both knightmares dodged by breaking formation just before she fired.

"_Kisama_...!" Kallen cursed under her breath as these two _Sutherlands_ were already proving to be a nuisance to her. Fortunately support came as Alfred dove in on the scene, his own surger readied to strike as he intercepted the navy blue _Sutherland_, which barely managed to throw up a Blaze Luminous shield right before the former Glaston Knight would have grasped it. With that, Kallen switched to the offensive herself and shot after the white _Sutherland_, clashing her fork knife against one of its MVS while attempting to latch onto it with her surger claw. And yet the advanced model _Sutherland_ remained on the ball, flying back just as Kallen was about to ensnare it and firing its chest mounted slash harkens to force her into dodging as well.

"Where the hell did _they_ come from!?" Alfred growled as he continued to engage his opponent, each of his attacks being expertly deflected by the dark hued _Sutherland_. After executing a knife slash, he attempted to catch the enemy knightmare off guard by switching to his grenade launcher at the last possible second, but just as he was about to pull down on the trigger, the _Sutherland_ executed a midair leap, followed by a roundhouse kick that knocked the _Isshiki_ to the left and nearly sent Alfred into that side of the cockpit.

Kallen was too engaged in her battle to answer Alfred, though she did have a hunch on what exactly they were dealing with. Switching over to her grenade launcher, she fired a shell at the enemy _Sutherland_, forcing it onto the evasive and allowing her to try attacking it again. But when she was about to close in, the _Sutherland_ resheathed its left MVS and drew a machine gun it had holstered on its waist, firing off a burst of warshots that were complimented with a top launched grenade. Kallen responded in kind, firing back with her surger before switching to her own grenade launcher and then back again, turning the apparent duel from a melee into a running gun fight.

A stroke of luck suddenly came over Kallen as one of her grenades managed to catch the _Sutherland_ in the machine gun, blowing it completely away and taking its hand with it. Seemingly incensed, the _Sutherland_ charged again and slashed with its remaining MVS, forcing Kallen back on the defensive even as she tried firing off another grenade. At such close range, it was all too simple for the _Sutherland_ to sidestep from the grenade and make another slashing attack at the _Nishiki_, this one actually landing a scar across the Black Knight knightmare's chest plate. Fortunately the cut wasn't deep enough to cause any damage to the _Guren_'s internal systems, but it still caught Kallen off guard; she was not used to a _Sutherland_ actually landing a hit on her, even if it was an apparent high performance model. It was then that Kallen switched over to a tactical mindset, quickly coming up with a plan to deal with the two adversaries before they could do any more damage to her or Alfred.

"Rei Two, move for _Oshidashi_!" Kallen ordered over the comm, while deflecting another slash with her fork knife. The brief pause that was needed for her to issue the command was enough for the _Sutherland_ to press forward with its attacks, although Kallen managed to avoid damage.

"Sure that's going to work with these two!?" Alfred replied as thrust once more unleashed a surger beam, only for his attack to be deflected by a Blaze Luminous. He growled at that, seeing it more as an annoyance than a hindrance.

"It will. Now execute!" Kallen replied with a follow up command. Immediately after, Kallen smashed her fork knife against the _Sutherland_'s MVS and gunned her air glide wing system to full burn, forcing the _Sutherland_ back as it desperately tried to use its own float system to apply equal force. Unfortunately for the Britannian unit, the _Guren_'s flight system was much more powerful, and it remained unhindered as it pushed its opponent back across the sky.

Simultaneously, Alfred brought down his own knife in a power stab that forced the navy blue _Sutherland_ to crisscross its MVS together in order to deflect. Upon that, he too put his air glide wing system to full power, forcing his own target back. It would soon become apparent that both Black Knights had matched vectors and were now moving toward collision with one another, in doing so turning their entrapped opponents into midair battering rams. This fact was not lost on the Britannian units, but they were both helpless in doing anything about it; the velocity of either _Guren_ kept them from moving out of the way, and to lower their weapons would only allow leave an opening for either knightmare to strike. And sure enough, both _Sutherlands_ ended up crashing into one another, the ends of their cockpit blocks impacting into either's left side, crushing their respective left float system wing and MVS scabbard in the process. The sheer force alone rocked both units and effectively dazed them.

With their opponents incapacitated, both Kallen and Alfred moved in for the kill, with either _Guren_ latching onto its opponent _Sutherland_ with its surger. From there, both shot radiation through either frame, causing them to bubble up against one another until it seemed like they melded together. A second later, both the _Gurens _flew backward, just as the _Sutherlands_ exploded as one.

As she watched the explosion, Kallen couldn't help but feel some satisfaction at seeing one of her own combat maneuvers working perfectly. She may not have been as good in that area as Lelouch, but being commander of the Black Knights' most elite unit meant that she had to be as much of a tactician as a pilot, to the point that she had to come up with her own tactics instead of constantly relying on "the book" or Lelouch's direction. The _Oshidashi_ maneuver was one such tactic, based directly off of the _sumo_ "front push" technique and applied onto knightmare combat. In hindsight it probably wasn't her most inspired creation, but it was still effective in taking down two knightmares at the same time.

"Any idea what those things were?" Alfred questioned as his _Isshiki_ continued to hover.

"Somewhat." Kallen replied. "Back in Japan, there were rumors going around that the Britannians were trying to apply _Lancelot_ based technology onto _Sutherlands_, though no one had ever seen them in battle. These must have been prototypes."

Alfred grimaced at that. If a pair of specially enhanced _Sutherlands_ could be that much trouble, then he did not want to find out how much of a fight a series of direct line units like the _Vincent_ would put against him and the Black Knights. "God forbid they ever mass produce that _thing_."

Kallen, however, chose not to dwell on it, as the battle was still going on and there were more Britannians for her and Alfred to kill. "There are more enemies around Sector Lambda Ten." Kallen stated, turning theunit's head toward the direction of the specified coordinates. "We'll secure that area next."

"Roger." Alfred replied simply, also putting aside any more thoughts on the skirmish behind him.

With that, both crimson knightmares turned and flew away, leaving the ruined docks behind them.

* * *

**Hickam Air Base  
County of Crusoe, Area 7 (Sandwich Islands), Holy Britannian Empire  
April 10, 2025 a.t.b.**

With a sudden burst from his landspinners, Rai closed the gap between his unique cobalt colored _Guren Isshiki_ and the opposing_ Gloucester_, driving his fork knife directly through its chest with little hinderance. A moment later he withdrew the knife and reversed his knightmare, allowing himself some safe distance just as the _Gloucester_ exploded. With that threat removed, Rai switched over to his surger and let loose a full stream into the line of _Albatross_ transport planes that the special-issue knightmare and others like it had been protecting, destroying the mammoth aircrafts and any cargo that they had contained in a collective blaze that made the _Gloucester_'s destruction seem inconsequential.

The destroyed transport planes were only the latest addition to what remained of Imperial Air Force Station Hickham. Ruins of various aircraft, vehicles and knightmares were littered across the field, as were burning buildings and defensive emplacements. A good portion of them had been the result of the _Ikaruga_'s initial bombardment at the beginning of the battle as well as follow up attacks by other Black Knight squadrons, but there had still been enough left for Rai and his 8th Knightmare Squadron "Raiden" to demolish when they had all been directed to the basin for mop up operation. In that sense, Rai had to admit that they had been thorough in the destruction of the airbase, and even though there was still some remaining opposition and targets of opportunity here, it would not be long before the whole of Hickham was obliterated. Not that its complete destruction would stand out from the rest of the military installations on the island in any way.

Though he wasn't a war fanatic by any stretch of the imagination, Rai had to admit that there was something refreshing about piloting a knightmare in live battle again as opposed to simulations. The last time he had participated in a real fight was during the Black Rebellion, which he had barely survived just to face the fury of the Devastation and its aftermath; since then he had been acting as an instructor at Ginowan, utilizing his own experiences in preparing rookie Black Knights for the hell they would inevitably face. From all he had seen and experienced eight years ago, Rai should have dreaded going back into real battle again, but now that he was there he didn't feel anything like that. Instead, the best he could surmise about himself, as he ripped and blasted his way through the burning airfield, was that he was in his rightful place in the carnage. Perhaps he was more of a warrior than he had taken himself for, but at the moment that line of thinking took a backseat to accomplishing the mission here.

As he began another run down the airfield, Rai looked back to see two of the _Akatsukis_ of his unit having a high speed cat and mouse chase with a number of _Sutherlands_ and several supporting _Viper _VTOL gunships. To anyone watching on the outside, it would have appeared that 8th Squadron units were quickly being overwhelmed, but Rai knew that it was his pilots who were leading the merry chase, all the while having their way with the Britannian pilots without the enemy realizing it. This further emphasized when two other _Akatsukis_ dove down from the air and made sweeping runs on the pursuers, destroying several in one pass, and allowing the first two to twist around and return fire. One at a time they picked off her antagonists, their shots landing perfectly on target in stark contrast to their adversaries' lacking accuracy, resulting in several trailing explosions.

_Heh, I'm leading a squadron of grandstanders._ Rai thought as he watched it all play out. He wasn't so concentrated however that he didn't notice a _Lightning II_ swoop down from the sky and make a strafing run against him, firing both its machine cannon and several missiles at his direction. In a split second Rai switched from his landspinners to his air glide wing system and pushed to full power, avoiding streaking missiles and then _Lightning II_ itself as it dove past. Before it could get enough distance away from him however, he twisted his _Guren_ around and once more let loose his surger into the fighter's single afterburner, sending radiant wave energy directly into the engine and incinerating it from within, resulting in the fighter suddenly exploding.

While he was airborne, he saw that several more enemy units were making their way onto the airfield, mostly _Challenger II_ main battle tanks supported by _Scimitar_ light tanks. At the moment the tanks were making their way across the air field toward the closest _Akatsukis_, which were still having their brutal way with the ever dwindling _Sutherlands_ and VTOLs; it was obvious that the tank commander was hoping to catch at least one enemy unit on the unguarded flank before he, she or they either saw them coming or took to the air again, though the chances of that happening were about the same as someone managing to shoot the Emperor and live to tell about it.

Sure enough, when one of the _Akatsukis_, the unit belonging to Raiden Six, finished dispatching the last _Viper_ and then turned its attention to raining death on the incoming tanks, going on a full charge and weaving around the tanks fire before letting loose its own guns from their flanks, an obvious reenactment of the tactic popularized by _Glasgow_ pilots against the JGSDF during the Second Pacific War. Rai let out a "heh" at the irony in that, but then his sensors spouted out a warning of a new enemy unit at the southern end of the airfield. As his onboard computer was unable to identify the newcomer, he quickly magnified the visual feed, and upon doing so, felt his eyes widen and blood run cold.

_That's_..._!_ was all his mind was able to process before his body moved on its own and keyed into his wingman's channel. "Raiden Six, behind you!"

Unfortunately the warning came too late as a hypersonic round shot through the air and slammed right into the center of the _Akatsuki_, with the pilot barely being able to utter a "What...?". The resounding "BANG" only followed a moment later in traditional fashion, as did the resulting explosion. Two other _Akatsukis_ were dispatched in a similar fashion, while a fourth was hit in the air glide wings and ended up crashing into the ground, its pilot knocked out on impact.

Like sharks attracted to a fresh kill, the tanks took quick notice of the disabled _Akatsuki_, their turrets shifting around to deliver the collective final blow. Once more reacting before his mind could process thought, Rai pushed his _Isshiki_ to its limit, jetting straight down between his pilot and the prey-turned-predators. Just as they were about to fire, he threw up his radiant wave shield and deflected the attacks, before responding in kind with his surger. He destroyed at remaining _Challenger IIs_ in a single beam, once more littering the field with flaming wrecks as far as the eye could see. Unfortunately, this also resulted in throwing up an impromptu smokescreen between him and the enemy sniper, and while Rai's vision was obscured, he knew especially that his opponent's was not in the least hindered.

Immediately the enemy sniper took advantage of the smokescreen fired several more shots at the _Guren Isshiki_, each one hammering against its radiant wave shield. Swearing loudly under the barrage, Rai switch to 8th Squadron's "push" frequency. "Raiden Leader to all units, take Four and withdraw, now!"

"Say again Raiden Leader?" one of the pilots, likely Raiden Two, asked.

"You heard me, get out of here! I'll handle this Britannian personally!" Rai ordered once more, all the while more rounds were shot against his radiant wave shield.

With the command established, the _Akatsuki_ pilots followed orders and flew out, with one unit descending to pick up its disabled comrade, thereby relieving Rai of his charge, on its way out. Once they were a safe distance away, Rai went on the offensive and reengaged his air glide wings and charged ahead while keeping his shield up in order to block the continued firing. It was a risky move on his part, as his moving against the enemy fire only increased their velocity and the energy they exerted on his shield, Newtonian law remaining constant. However, Rai also knew the moment he attempted to dodge the shot, the next attack would hit one of his subordinates, something he was not about to let happen.

_Of all the things I knew I would end up fighting here, I never thought_ you_ would be among their number._ Rai thought as he pushed his feet back against the cockpit foot pedals, sending his _Guren_ into an even greater velocity. As he approached the enemy knightmare, he drew his fork knife and brought it to his left side, ready to strike once he was upon his target.

The Britannian knightmare, realizing that it would be disadvantageous to remain in a sniper's position for much longer, suddenly deactivated its shoulder mounted factsphere sensors and retracted the barrel of its VARIS rifle. Just as the _Guren_ was upon it, it jumped way, skating on its landspinners in a reverse zig-zag pattern. Rai responded by switching to his grenade launcher and attempting shoot the enemy knightmare while it was in motion, but before he could get a lock on the knightmare activated its float system and took off to the sky. Sneering at how difficult the fight ahead was going to be in both physical and psychological terms, Rai put more energy into his own air glide wings and took off after his target like a bolt.

Needless to say, the enemy knightmare he was fighting was a lot different from the standard _Sutherlands_, _Gloucesters_ and _Portman IIs_ he had been slaughtering throughout the night. In fact, any casual onlooker could tell a resemblance between it and a certain other knightmare of great infamy, right down to the white armor, smoother body design and humanoid style head with dual neon green eye cameras. However, instead of the gold trim of that particular unit, this one held blue highlights across its frame, as well as shortened shoulder pauldrons that housed its factsphere sensors, a horn like head crest that extended right above the faceplate, which combined with the rear angled side antennae to contribute to a crown-like appearance, and an overall slim and seemingly delicate physique that only the overly naive would believe to be weak. For armaments, it held much of the same weapons as that other knightmare, only doing away with the hip slash harkens and mounting the maser vibration lances that were also used by the _Vincent_ instead of swords. And though it had been built on the frame of a _Sutherland_, therefore lacking the sakuradite infused chassis that was now standard with seventh and eighth generation knightmares, it held a performance and power rating that was for a time unlike anything ever fielded. In the end, all of these factors came together to create the machine that had been considered both the dreaded _Lancelot_'s sister unit and equal.

"It's really been a while, hasn't it _Club_?" Rai spoke with familiarity to the still retreating _Lancelot Club_. As he began closing the gap between it and the high end knightmare, he was quick notice one new feature to the design: a stylized black "club" playing card suit marking, outlined in blue and with two crossing silver swords underneath it, placed on its chest. "Looks like you've been doing well."

As if physically responding to Rai, the _Lancelot Club_ redrew its VARIS and began firing in rapid succession. This time however, Rai didn't have an incapacitated comrade behind him to defend, and so engaged in evasive maneuvers, easily evading the hypersonic shots by reflex alone. After dodging at least five shots, Rai gunned his thrusters again and once more came upon his opponent, right before he slashing the VARIS in half with his fork knife. Before he could do anything to the _Club_ itself however, the Britannian knightmare reached out with its leg and kicked against his _Isshiki_'s chest, sending him back some distance. The _Club_ used that interim to draw its maser vibration lances, activate the blades and then join them together at the ends.

In response to the challenge, Rai swung his knife back and charged again. Despite his _Guren_'s superior speed, the enemy pilot was quick enough to deflect his initial slash with one of the lance ends, then swing the other around in an attempt to counter. Rai was also quick to deflect, knocking the lance blade away and attempting a horizontal slash, which the _Club_ performed a midair leap backwards to avoid. It then twirled the lance around and shot off to the _Guren_'s side, attempting to catch it unguarded, but Rai simply fired a stream from his surger to dissuade it. He then twisted around and made a downward chop that would have split the _Club_'s head in two, only for the _Club_ to deflect it with one of its Blaze Luminous shields and then retaliate with its own slash, which Rai deflected once more in kind.

This kept up for some time, as in spite of the technologically superior _Guren Isshiki_ and Rai's apparent knowledge of the _Club_'s capabilities, the Britannian pilot was still able to bring out the full power of _Club_ into the fight, thus hindering Rai's efforts. Eventually however, Rai managed to score first blood by slashing into the _Club_'s right shoulder, destroying the factsphere sensor within. In seemingly angered response, the _Club_ leapt back and fired off its arm mounted slash harkens in a surprise attack. However, Rai was well aware of the speed and velocity that the harkens traveled, allowing him to not only avoid them with precision but slash them away with his knife before they could be withdrawn.

At that point the mood of the battle changed as the enemy pilot suddenly realized his or her only remaining weapons were the maser vibration lances and the Blaze Luminous. In the face of being overwhelmed, the adversary chose a more aggressive course of action, launching into a full offensive that, in full reversal of their earlier positions, forced Rai back. And though Rai was adept at deflecting the lance blades from even touching his _Guren_, he was unable to land a killing strike of his own, as the _Club_ either threw up its Blaze Luminous shields to deflect or simply avoided the slash as a whole. As a result, Rai was only able to chip away at the _Club_'s chassis, taking off chunks of its armor with quick slashes and cuts, but was unable to harm its internal systems and mechanics.

_Damn it, I don't have time for this...!_ Rai thought. Reengaging his thrusters, he retracted his fork knife and broke away from the _Club_, shooting through the air like a kestrel in the hope that the enemy pilot would take the bait. Sure enough the _Club_ gave chase, flying after the "fleeing" _Guren_ with clear intent to finish it off. In a straight race, Rai knew his knightmare could outrun its opponent; as fast as the _Lancelot Club_ was, it was not as fast as the more up to date _Guren Isshiki_. However, he didn't intend on outrunning his opponent so much as leading him or her on, much like his subordinates had been doing before with their own pursuers.

Dropping down to ground level, Rai continued his flight just meters off the deck, making banks and turns around the airfield and burning wreckages to keep the _Club_'s pilot further concentrated on him. All throughout the _Club_ followed, and even took the opportunity to pick up a leftover machine gun from one of the _Sutherland_ remains, soon turning the chase into a good old fashioned dogfight. Despite the rain of projectiles as an additional challenge, Rai continued to remain a step ahead of the _Club_, weaving around the bullets and grenades with a practiced hand as well as utilizing the surrounding wrecked structures as additional cover.

_Just a little bit more..._ Rai thought as he weaved around the burning stump that had once been Hickham's control tower, long reduced to ruins by the _Ikaruga_'s initial barrage. The _Club_ continued to keep pace, firing another grenade meant for Rai that ended up landing into the broken tower, taking off a massive chunk of the remaining base structure as the _Guren_ flew on.

_Now!_ Rai heard a voice in his head cry out. Without warning he angled his _Guren_ into a straight climb, flying directly upward like a rocket out of a silo. Once more the _Club_ gave chase, and after deliberately allowing it to gain on him, Rai gritted his teeth and pulled back on his control stick. In response to his command, the _Guren_ performed an inverted Immelmann turn, which turned its straight climb into a straight dive as well as put it on a direct intercept toward its pursuer. By that point the enemy pilot realized what was about to happen, but even though he or she attempted to evade, it was far too late.

As part of the Immelmann, the _Guren_ twisted a full one hundred and eighty degrees so that it was facing the exact same direction as it had during its climb; as a result, it would directly pass over the still ascending _Club_'s back as it continued its dive. Knowing he had only one chance of getting it right, Rai, upon passing the _Club_'s exposed cockpit section, slashed his "Ryogo Otsugata Tozantou" out in an upside down iaido draw that cleaved the block, and the pilot with it, right down the middle. Despite the speed he was flying at, Rai did not miss the mist of blood that followed after him after he made the slash, signifying that he was the victor.

Without a pilot to control it, and for the fact that Rai's attack had also destroyed the cockpit control systems, the _Club_ suddenly halted in its climb before falling backwards in an uncontrolled drop. To keep from crashing into it, Rai dropped the _Guren_ back to ground level, switched over to his landspinners and sped some distance away just as the _Club_ landed, creating a small but fairly deep crater in the already broken airfield.

Once the resounding "boom" had ended, Rai slowly turned his _Isshiki_ around and guided it back to the crash site. There, much to a strange mixture of satisfaction and distaste, he saw the _Lancelot Club_ embedded into the ground, largely intact with the only apparent damage being the broken float system wings and whatever dents Rai himself had put into it.

As he stared directly into its neon green eyes through his _Guren_'s orange eye cameras, Rai found himself suddenly hesitant. It wasn't that he didn't know what he needed to do, but he certainly felt a great displeasure at the idea: that he had to be the one to perform the _coup de grace_.

It would have been obvious in telling that Rai had a history with the _Lancelot Club_; in fact, history would have been considered an understatement if anyone had known the full truth. As unprofessional as it was to form attachments to machines, without going into specifics the _Club_ had not just been a "mere" machine to the present Black Knight; he had at one time, and still did he realized, considered it as much of a friend and a comrade as any living being. It had, after all, been _his_ steed once upon a time.

For a brief moment Rai considered the possibility of salvaging the _Club_ and bringing it to the Black Knights for their own usage; even if it was outdated by several years, he was sure Rakshata would be able to do something with it. Unfortunately the realist in him knew that was an impossibility, as he was still in the middle of a battle and his squadron still needed his leadership. Further finalizing the issue was the fact there were no Black Knight units close enough to respond to his call, assuming that they could at all, and by the time he would be able to return to the field reinforcements from the homeland would have long arrived. As such, it would be the Britannians who would salvage it, before undoubtedly passing it onto Camelot for refurbishment and upgrading, and as a Black Knight Rai had an obligation to deny the Britannians any and all resources for their cause.

Sighing with finalization, he reengaged his grenade launcher and took aim toward the _Lancelot Club_'s chest, exactly where he knew the Yggdrasil drive would be. "_Club..._ The reason I'm here today is because of you." he said, with a flat smile. "I'm eternally grateful, and not just for how you allowed me to complete those missions and brought me back home in one piece. You gave me the power to fight for everything that matters."

He felt his finger fidget against the trigger. "I can't say that our time together was always... pleasant, but through those experiences I was able to grow into what I am now, as well as redeem myself from my sin if only a little..." Rai murmured, looking down a little bit as the memories came back to him. "But now it's time for us to part ways. Don't worry, I'll be able to fulfill my new mission just as well, for both the salvation of mankind and what matters to me most."

After a moment, he looked up and gazed at the passive blue faceplate one last time. "Rest in peace, my dear friend. I shall never forget."

With that, Rai fired a single shot from his grenade launcher, which had no hindrance in piercing the _Lancelot Club_'s chest plate, specifically the stylized "club" marking, and flying straight into the main drive. At the last possible second, Rai had his _Guren_ perform a power jump backwards, all the while he watched as the white and blue knightmare began to glow even whiter before exploding entirely, leaving behind more burning remains for the airfield. Rai allowed himself to look over the fire for a bit longer, before turning away and moving to rejoin his unit.

* * *

**Pearl Harbor Naval Base  
County of Crusoe, Area 7 (Sandwich Islands), Holy Britannian Empire  
April 10, 2025 a.t.b.**

"That's right, eat my shit _kaeru_!" Tamaki bellowed at the latest explosion, which had once been an Imperial Marine _Portman II_, before banking away on his landspinners to evade the return fire. He was quick enough to fire on several more _Portman IIs_ as he passed, but he only ended up causing minor damage to them. That would soon change however, as the other members of Tamaki's 7th Knightmare Squadron "Hebi" moved in to finish where he left off.

As he advanced toward newer targets, Tamaki only felt a giddy feeling come over himself and his seemingly unbreakable stride. Kami_, we're beating the total shit out of them! We're actually pulling this off! _

Even now in the middle of the action, the ambitious Black Knight squadron commander could still hardly believe what was happening around him. Not only was his side winning, but it was kicking Britannian ass on one of the most heavily defended basins on the planet; in fact even with all that the Black Knights had gained throughout the years, Tamaki would never have believed in his wildest dreams that this could have been possible. The sight of so many destroyed buildings, ships and knightmares only made Tamaki overrun with delight, in a way that not even the attack on Pendragon had made him. Indeed, after having to endure seven years of hit-and-run attacks that only hampered the Brits rather than halted them, followed by eight years of exile and another hit-and-run attack that did no real damage, a direct attack on one of their installations, as well as getting away with it, was almost a dream come true as far as the commander of the Black Knights' 7th Knightmare Squadron "Hebi" was concerned. And it was all made possible by his number one buddy, who Tamaki had already proclaimed as "THE MAN" sometime into the battle.

At the same time however, Tamaki knew the battle was not over just yet, and that he still had much to do. On that, Tamaki and the rest of 7th Squadron were already in the process of destroying their next target: the Imperial Marine, or by their more fanciful and in Tamaki's opinion pompous titles "Corps of His Majesty's Imperial Marines" or "Imperial Marines Commando", barracks and hangar facilities at the southern tip of the harbor, just above the borderline to Hickam. If Tamaki remembered the briefing correctly, it used to be a fuel depot, but was changed over during the latest modernization of the base. Not that he really gave a damn about that though; as far as he was concerned, if it had a Britannian crest on it or a Britannian flag waving beside it, then he just wanted to see it go "boom".

The only issue with the chosen target was before Tamaki had launched the strike, it had not yet been touched by the Black Knights' attack; not even a barrage from the _Ikaruga_ had landed there. This meant that the defensive systems around the facilities had been in working order, and unless the Marines had deployed units to reinforce other portions of Pearl, the knightmare contingent was still at full capacity. But even with that knowledge, Tamaki only proceeded with the attack anyway, because his squadron was the baddest force the Black Knights' had to offer next to Kallen's Zero Squadron and Tohdoh's Four Holy Swords, and he wanted the Marines to know that firsthand. That and Tamaki just wanted to get the Britannians back for those damned annoying commercials they kept flooding the airwaves with, the ones that always depicted some camouflaged soldier landing on a beach or shooting up some "terrorist" haven all the while some voice went on about how badass the Marines were or some shit before finishing the commercial with the god awful "It's A State Of Mind" slogan.

By this point he had lost three of his squadron; one had to return to the _Ikaruga_ as his unit had been too damaged to fight on and two others had been KIA outright. But as much as that stung, the 7th were killing the Imperial Marines by the dozens and Tamaki himself had gotten some kills under his own belt too. But there were still more to choose from.

Behind him he felt the explosion's shockwave pass as one of the recoilless rifle equipped _Akatsukis_ blew away the local Marine HQ, while others began setting to work on the hangars. The rest of his squadron only continued to go after the knightmares, as did Tamaki himself, which was signified upon his drawing his knightmare's katen yaibatou. Once more showing off the new skills he had gained from training at Ginowan on and off for eight years, he led the charge and weaved around the _Portman IIs_, cutting them up as he passed by either slashing them across the legs, the torso or the cockpit itself. The knightmares behind him either finished them off or took out the ones he missed.

"Come on! Where's your damn 'State of Mind'!? Huh!?" Tamaki hollered over the open channel as he cut through, taking full advantage of the _Portman II_'s lackluster mobility on land. This was especially made apparent when one actually attempted to slam its rifle into him as he moved in, only for him to make his _Akatsuki_ "duck" and slash the offending _Portman II_ along what would have been its pelvic area. "Where's that badass Marine shit now, huh!?"

A respond to his taunts soon came when a rifle launched grenade exploded just a meter away from where his _Akatsuki_ was standing, rocking his knightmare with its shockwave. "Gah!" Tamaki yelped as he felt his teeth rattle from inside his skull. After he regained his composure, as well as felt his bloodlust increase by a fair margin, Tamaki turned around and found the _Portman II_ that had taken that shot at him, which was now backing away on its landspinners. Letting out a battle cry, he launched at maximum speed. "I'm going to gut you motherfucker!"

The _Portman II_ went into full reverse while firing its machine gun, but there was no way it could outrun Tamaki's knightmare on dry land. As a result, Tamaki slashed off one of the _Portman II_'s legs, causing it to fall over. From that point, the enraged Japanese pilot let out a roar and rapidly stabbed his chainsword through the enlarged knightmare's torso in random places, before his sensors warned him that he was targeted by another knightmare, forcing him off as one of his squadmates shot down that particular unit with a hand gun burst.

The sound of his beeping sensors signaled him to the arrival of more _Portman IIs_, this time coming out of the harbor area; apparently there had been some underwater hangars or something. Tamaki responded by firing off his hand gun, but unfortunately these Marines were perceptive enough to split off before Tamaki could hit a single one of them, and they responded in kind by firing back with their own machine guns.

"That all you Brits got!? I'm disappointed! You gave a helluva lot more effort eight years ago!" Tamaki bellowed again as he locked onto one of the newcomer _Portman IIs_ and fired off his slash harken, which buried itself directly into the amphibious knightmare's plump "gut" and allowed Tamaki to draw in close to slash it up with his katen yaibatou. He then let loose his last radiant wave rocket at another _Portman II_, which impacted on the amphibious knightmare's left arm. Unfortunately, the Britannian pilot managed to narrowly avoid the killing blow by jettisoning that arm, which bubbled and exploded soon after, leaving the knightmare without one appendage but still functioning. Far from letting up, Tamaki throttled his _Akatsuki_ to full power and barged into the damaged _Portman II_, knocking it off its feet and causing it to fall backward, landing on the back of its cockpit block. In a swift motion Tamaki brought up his hand gun and fired a quick point blank burst into his incapacitated target's center, before activating his air glide wing system and jetting away, not bothering to wait for the explosion.

"Yeah, bitches! This is the new and improved Shinichiro Tamaki, Black Knight ace!" Tamaki hollered out over the radio once more. "You're all a hundred years too early to take me o..."

A response to his jaunting came in the form of cannon shell slamming into the left side of his cockpit block. Because of the extra armor that came with his air glide wing system, the shell was unable to puncture all the way into the cockpit, but it succeeded all too well in snapping off the left side's air glide wings and accompanying thruster pod. As a result of this, Tamaki's _Akatsuki_ fell from the air like a weight and slammed into the ground just as hard on its back. Tamaki ended up doing the same, except against the back of his cockpit.

"Owww! That fucking smarts...!" Tamaki sounded off from the shock and pain, before trying to reorient himself. Just as he moved to get his _Akatsuki_ back on its feet however, his sensors beeped out a warning. Immediately Tamaki took a look at his sensor board, and upon reading it suddenly feeling his face turn as white as a ghost's. _Oh shit...!_

Apparently somewhere between his getting shot down from the sky and following less than graceful landing, a large number of _Portman IIs_ had converged together and were moving against him; the fact that none of his subordinates were close by only made the situation worse. Tamaki wasn't sure how many there were gunning for him, but it was safe to say it was more than a squadron's worth, and as good a pilot as Tamaki had become, even he had to admit that only "battle freaks" like those in Zero Squadron could take on a squadron's worth of knightmares at one time. Suddenly a sinking feeling was beginning to get a hold of the self proclaimed Black Knight ace.

Soon enough, almost as if they were collectively responding to Tamaki's jeers in one unified retort, the _Portman IIs_ open fired in a full barrage with their machine guns and cannons, forcing Tamaki to move backwards and attempt to evade their attacks. By that point, Tamaki managed to get his _Akatsuki_ back to its feet and, knowing he was boxed in and unable to escape, charged with his sword in hand, doing his best to evade their barrage while returning fire from his hand gun. Unfortunately while he managed to evade a good portion of the blitzkrieg, many of the bullets still got through and slowly but surely parts of his knightmare got blown away, starting with his left arm, handgun and shoulder. It was at that point Tamaki remembered his radiant wave shield and fumbled to raise it, only for his knightmare's head to get blown off by another grenade.

"Goddammit!" he cursed again as he realized his last means of defense, as well as his main camera for that matter, had been blown away. As a result, his main screen suddenly became filled with static, flashing in and out as the secondary camera attempted to take over. Most of the systems within the knightmare were offline as well, only half of his monitors were operational. And the damage only continued to stack on.

But even so, Tamaki didn't abandon his charge. As badly as he was being shot up, he still managed to get right up to one of the offending _Portman IIs_ and use his katen yaibatou to deliver a fatal slash wound before it could back away. He then brought his machine cannons back online and began spraying across the other _Portman IIs_, while attempting to draw in close to another one, but by now the other knightmares had withdrawn a considerable distance while retaining their encirclement. As such, when Tamaki attempted to make another charging slash at one of his aggressors, his upraised right arm got cleaved off at the elbow by a slash harken, the hand still clutching the chain sword. From there, the Britannian knightmares closed ranks and the crossfire soon enveloped Tamaki's knightmare, who only screamed out as he realized he was about to die a very fiery death.

Amidst his screaming, Tamaki didn't remember when or whether he pulled the handle or not, but at some point his cockpit ejection system activated and sent his cockpit flying to a safe distance away from the encirclement, just as his knightmare's chassis exploded. Tamaki's cry only continued as the circular grey block flung through the air like a rocket assisted baseball, before once more crashing. But even when it touched ground it still kept moving, going into a bit of a backward tumble before skidding across the ground, all the while causing Tamaki to jar back and forth between his control panel and the back cushions that ran along the hatch. And just like when the system first activated, Tamaki didn't remember at what point did the cockpit stop, as he was too concentrated on the throbbing of his head and body.

_"...I now claim this mobile suit in the name Zeon...!"_ Tamaki spoke out in a nonsensical daze, the world continuing to spin around his eyes while his ears rung. One could almost see the proverbial cuckoo birds flying around his head.

A nearby explosion and a few shakes of his head were enough to knock him out of his daze and back to his senses, as well as cause him to remember what had just happened to him.

"Dammit to hell, why does this shit keep happening to me!" Tamaki hollered, slamming his fist against his control panel. Unfortunately his body was still quite bruised up from both the battle and his escape, which combined with the reverse force applied from his fist's impact onto the control panel caused him to jump back from the sudden surge in pain. "Owwwwww...! Goddammit...!"

However, as concentrated as he was on his now violently throbbing fist, Tamaki did not fail to remember that he was a sitting duck, nor did he fail to remember that Britannians had a thing for shooting up helpless cockpits. As such, using his other hand, he opened the cockpit release and had the hatch flip open. From there he climbed off his motorcycle seat and attempted to stand up right, although that took a bit of effort to accomplish as he was still woozy; fortunately the sounds of the explosions and surrounding gunfire enabled him to regain himself. Once the world was straight again, he began looking around for some cover to run toward and hide himself until one of his allies found him and took him back to the _Ikaruga_.

_Man, everything's on fire..._ Tamaki thought with no small amount of helplessness, all of a sudden feeling naked without an eight ton metal body to shroud himself with. Indeed, his squadron had been quite thorough in torching the surrounding buildings. _...Maybe I should try to flag down one of my guys..._

Such an action was quickly prevented by the sight of a _Sutherland_ suddenly dropping from the air and landing right in front of Tamaki. The self-proclaimed Black Knight ace could feel his bladder drain itself as he watched the blue knightmare raise itself up to its full height and then bring its machine gun to bare on the helpless flesh and blood human below.

"Oh God...!" Tamaki let out before turning away and cowering, knowing what was about to come next.

However, while he wasn't sure that had been a prayer he had just uttered, it seemed _Kami_ had answered his call anyway. Before Tamaki knew it had happened, an explosion sounded from behind him, the shock of which promptly knocked him face first into his own cockpit hatch. Immediately upon feeling pain shoot through his nose and face, he realized he was still quite alive, and that someone had got to his would be executioner before the deed could be done.

Slowly and unsurely, Tamaki pulled his head back and turned it around to see what had just happened. What he beheld was a burning, scattered wreck that had once been the _Sutherland_, and the unmistakable black visage of a cannon wielding _Akatsuki Jikisanshiyo_ move up to his position, coming to a complete stop and then ejecting the apparently empty bazooka from its right arm. As that action was accomplished, the _Akatsuki_'s head shifted until its orange mono-eye was looking right down at Tamaki, while a voice spoke out from the knightmare's outward speaker system. **"I should have known I would find you like this."**

Suddenly, Tamaki felt his gut clench as he recognized the clearly feminine voice of his rescuer. "Shut up Viletta! I don't want to hear it from you!"

The only verbal response was a disappointed sigh, as Viletta, still looking over Tamaki's annoyed expression upon her main monitor screen, wondered why her husband kept such a useless man in the Black Knights. At that, she turned her knightmare around and began to roll away.

"Hey wait a minute! You can't just leave me like this! You have to take me back to the _Ikaruga_!" Tamaki called after her.

Suddenly his vision was momentarily filled with the black visage of another _Akatsuki_, a standard one, which dropped from the air and landed on the ground with a metallic "bang". And once again, Tamaki found himself falling onto his face, the sudden vibrations causing him to lose his balance.

**"Kyosha Three will take you back to the _Ikaruga_."** Viletta sounded, stopping momentarily and turning her knightmare's head around to regard Tamaki one last time. **"At least if you are cooperative. If not, then he is to drop you into the ocean and rejoin the fight."**

Tamaki growled as he got back up again and dusted himself. As he did so, the _Akatsuki_ kneeled and placed its open hand next to him, awaiting the downed Black Knight's next course of action. Seeing himself without any other choice, Tamaki swallowed his pride and climbed on, all the while giving off a dirty glare back towards the mono-eye of Viletta's knightmare.

**"Good."** Viletta spoke simply, before turning around. **"Now if you'll excuse me, I have a battle to wage. Have a pleasant flight Major."**

Before Tamaki could so much as flash his middle finger back at his "comrade" and superior, his apparent transport spread its air glide wings and took off again, the sudden upward climb and feeling of his head slamming back against the thumb of the knightmare's right hand causing him to cry out much like a kid on a rollercoaster. The last thing his mind processed before he blacked out, both from his acquired exhaustion and the g-forces, was the same question he had verbally uttered moments earlier.

_Why does this shit keep happening to me!_

* * *

As he watched the swarm of _Sutherlands_ and _Gloucesters_ flying to head him and the Four Holy Swords off before they reached the navy yard facilities in the distance, Tohdoh realized a certain key fact from his enemies' flight pattern: they were afraid. The Black Knight field commander did not find this surprising; as far as the Britannians were concerned, they were fighting against a force that they knew virtually nothing about beyond it being the same one that sieged their capital and were now sieging their own basin. They did not know the name or make of their knightmares or their capabilities, only that they were all painted in a singular black scheme that added onto their demonic visages. They knew nothing of the pilots that manned these machines, only that they were skilled in fighting and knew how to operate their machines far better than most Britannians knew how to operate theirs. And above all else, they knew not where their enemies came from or why these apparent adversaries were fighting against Britannia to begin with, only that they were out to slay anything that bore the Imperial crest on its person. With so many unknowns, it was only natural for the Britannian pilots to fear him and the Black Knights as a whole.

Yet when the time came and the Black Knights revealed themselves to Britannia and the world, the Britannians would fear them far more than they did now, when they knew nothing. The irony alone made that prospect appetizing in Tohdoh's mind, but that was for another time.

"Move in, _kusarigama_ formation." Tohdoh broadcasted orders to the Four Holy Swords, who all unanimously replied with confirmation, their _Jikisanshiyos_ shifting in position on the approach. Immediately he brandished his seidotou and put forth more power into the _Zangetsu_'s air glide wing system, sending the mighty knightmare into a flight speed that no _Akatsuki_ could hope to match, all the while dodging the Britannian machine gun attacks in a series of maneuvers. Before the Britannians knew it, he was already within their grouping, in which he managed to slash down three _Sutherlands_ with three rocket powered slashes before the enemy commander finally gave the order to break formation.

"Too slow!" Urube called out as he let out a burst from his hand gun, spraying down two _Sutherlands_ and a _Gloucester_ with hot shrapnel before being forced to dodge enemy counterattacks. Another _Sutherland_ attempted to move at him from behind, intent on getting a clear shot into the _Akatsuki_'s cockpit block, but Chiba struck first, slashing the _Sutherland_ in half with her katen yaibatou. Senba and Asahina were also setting to work on the enemy knightmares, cutting a nice swathe through their number like a _katana_ through cardboard. In their confusion, Tohdoh noticed that the Britannians' flying patterns became that much sloppier; apparently they were reeling from the shocking realization that their superior numbers meant nothing to the five higher end knightmares. He took advantage of that further by intercepting a _Gloucester_, knocking its lance aside with the seidotou mounted slash harken, and then twisted the blade end around to make a rocket assisted bifurcation at the violet knightmare's waist. The cockpit then ejected as both pieces fell to the sea below.

Soon enough, the navy yard came into direct view, such that Tohdoh could see it without having to magnify his main camera. His sensors were already picking up additional knightmares, namely types that were not equipped with float systems, to the ones that he and his four wingmen were already fighting. His sensors soon alerted him to a target lock warning, causing him to climb as a bazooka toting _Gloucester_ fired off a shell at him. He barrel-rolled through the air, avoiding another shell, before coming upon the _Gloucester_ and knocking it out of the sky with his chest mounted slash harken. At that point, he detected several more enemy knightmares moving toward him and the Four Holy Swords, likely attempting to herd the five toward the navy yard so that they would be caught between their fire and the ground units'. As such, Tohdoh decided to play along somewhat. "Shinden One and Kyofu One, begin your attack on the navy yard. Shoki One and Tenrai One, continue to destroy the airborne units."

"What about you Shogun One?" Chiba asked, some concern evident in her voice.

Tohdoh only smirked in response. "I'll deal with the foot soldiers guarding the fortress."

With that, the _Zangetsu_ broke away from its comrades and took off for the yard. More enemy knightmares opened fire upon him as he passed, but nothing they shot at him ever touched his unit's black armor. That nearly changed however when a gutsier-than-average _Sutherland_ pilot attempted to charge directly at him with a silver lance in hand, only for Tohdoh to bank left at the last possible second to avoid the weapon, then slam the hilt of the seidotou into the _Sutherland_'s exposed factsphere sensor, crushing it. Now effectively blinded, it was easy prey for Chiba, who fired a single shot from her bazooka into the incapacitated knightmare, turning it into a collection of raining blue metal shavings, one of many that she and Asahina slew to cover the General's descent, as well as their own.

As he got closer to ground level, the attacks on Tohdoh began to shift from behind him to in front of him. While Tohdoh wasn't sure whether they were braver than their airborne comrades or were simply encouraged by the fact he was "only" armed with a sword, the ground based _Sutherlands_ and _Gloucesters_ were now shooting up at him with every king of gunnery weapon imaginable, from the usual machine guns and bazookas to more exotic weapons like sniper rifles. In the face of their increasing firing rate, Tohdoh threw the _Zangetsu_ into a series of continuous banks and barrel rolls, taking advantage of his knightmare's superior mobility in order to keep the Britannians from getting a steady bead on him. He dodged most of it, but at certain points he had to throw up his radiant wave shield to deflect incoming rounds, otherwise he would have ended up losing too much velocity for his dive.

"I must compliment you." Tohdoh spoke under his breath as he watched the Britannian frames get closer and closer on his main screen. "You are all well disciplined and coordinated in your attacks, far moreso than your other countrymen. Had I been any weaker man, I would not have been able to survive your counterassault."

His smirked deepened as he was about to touch the ground. "Unfortunately for you however, I am Kyoshiro Tohdoh, and I am anything but a weak man!" And right after he spoke that declaration, the Black Knight Genereal disengaged his air glide wing system in midair so he could drop the remaining few meters and promptly drop onto his landspinners.

With a metallic clang followed by the unmistakable sound of rubber grinding against pavement, the _Zangetsu_ touched down and took off toward its Britannian adversaries, seidotou held out in its right hand much like a mounted _samurai_ would hold his _katana_ upon a charge. Despite the change in vector, the enemy formation continued their fire at him, hoping to at least score one direct blow onto the black and apparently red haired knightmare frame. Naturally the enemy fire didn't faze him anymore than it had when he was in the air as he continued to bank and weave around the bullets and shells while drawing in closer to the formation. It was only when he was on top of them did the knightmares scatter away, but not before he divided a _Gloucester_, the one he had suspected to be the unit commander, into halves.

From that point, the formation split into two groups: one that was retreating away from the _Zangetsu_, and one that was advancing toward it with less than peaceful intentions. Tohdoh dealt with the ones coming at him first, driving his knightmare through their ranks and simultaneously cutting them down, one after the other, with the seidotou as he passed. Long realizing the futility of attacking him with their gunnery weapons, the enemy knightmares chose to attack him with their stun tonfas, lances and slash harkens, obviously believing that they could overwhelm him with their combined attacks, and if not then hold him back long enough for reinforcements to arrive. Unfortunately for them, Tohdoh was far more adept at close quarters combat than they were, and he had no problems evading their attacks and delivering his own with lethal accuracy. For each of their single attacks, he would jump, bank, dodge, parry or simply speed by before employing his seidotou, or off and on his machine cannons, to dispatch his opponents before moving on. All throughout these lightning quick attacks, the Britannian pilots were only able to see one thing before being struck: the _Zangetsu_'s billowing red hair waving as if caught in a wind as the frame moved in for the kill.

In the middle of his one sided slaughter, Tohdoh managed to catch a glimpse of Chiba and Asahina's bazooka equipped knightmares dive down and begin their attack run on the yard. Both knightmares immediately fired shells into the nearby buildings and dry docks, causing a series of explosions to overtake the area, each one symbolizing a regression in Pearl Harbor's naval support capabilities. And despite the carnage that their attacks were generating, there were visibly no enemy knightmares moving to intercept them, as the ground forces focused on Tohdoh and the air forces were held up by Senba and Urabe. Seeing that from the corner of his eye while dispatching a _Gloucester_, Tohdoh allowed himself to flash a smile; it may not have been a miracle, but it still got the job done.

Unfortunately that slight pause was enough for a daring enemy to take advantage of. Tohdoh cursed under his breath as he felt a _Gloucester_ smash into him with a float system propelled shoulder tackle, sending him back a few meters before disengaging and touching down on the ground itself. Complicating the matter further was the fact this one was armed with a pair of MVS, which were both in hand and armed. "I don't know who you are...!" Tohdoh heard a raspy sounding voice blurt out from his comm. "But I won't let you bastards have your way any longer!"

At first, Tohdoh was confused by the voice. Whoever it belonged to, the owner was obviously far too old to have been among the Royal Panzer Infantry; in fact, he sounded far too old to even consider piloting a knightmare. And then there was the fact the remaining _Sutherlands_ had apparently moved away a considerable distance to give the _Gloucester_ a wide berth, all the while keeping their guns trained on the _Zangetsu_; this meant that the _Gloucester_'s pilot was a commander of some kind. Putting the two together, Tohdoh came up with a likely candidate, and so only needed to confirm. "Identify yourself." he spoke over broadband.

Sure enough, as the _Gloucester_ backed away some distance, a video window opened on his main screen. The window displayed a corpse-like man dressed in an Imperial Navy uniform, one with Admiral markings and a fair collection of metals on the left breast, as well as having a face smudged in dust and a bloodied cloth wrapped around the forehead. "This is Admiral Husband E. Kimmel of the Britannian Pacific Fleet! I demand that you identify _yourself_ before I send you to hell!"

Tohdoh smirked back at the screen. _How interesting. I never thought I would end up confronting the commandant of this base directly, and in a knightmare frame no less._ His smirk grew bigger as he continued. "General Kyoshiro Tohdoh, Black Knights 1st Assault Force."

It didn't seem physically possible, but Kimmel's already deathly pale face suddenly turned and even lighter shade as he, at long last, finally realized just who he had been fighting. Along with him, one could swear the surrounding _Sutherlands_ were also hesitant. "...The Black Knights...?" he murmured as if speaking the name of the devil. "...that's impossible, you're supposed to be...!"

"Dead?" Tohdoh finished for him, smirk still present. "Unfortunately for you and the rest of Britannia, Admiral, that was never the truth. You may have destroyed Japan, but many of its people still live on, as do we their protectors."

"I don't believe you!" Kimmel barked with rising anger. "I saw the Devastation as it was carried out. It would have been impossible for anyone to have survived that destruction! You... you and your ilk are just pretenders, using their infamy for your own ends!"

Tohdoh only sighed in slight annoyance. "Believe what you wish to, but the truth still remains: we have broken your defenses and routed your forces all throughout the island. With your military power and resources as they are now, you are incapable of turning this battle to your favor, as well as incapable of recalling your main fleet from the Pacific. Your only hope at survival lies with the coming reinforcements from your homeland, which we both know will not arrive in time if we were to proceed in our operation."

Even from his position, Tohdoh could see the aged Admiral's left eye twitch with each sentence, which caused him some inward bemusement. "Therefore, in the interest of avoiding further bloodshed, I offer you a chance to surrender, immediately and unconditionally."

"Not on your life Eleven!" Kimmel hollered in raspy defiance, while pointing a maser vibration sword blade at the _Zangetsu_. "I don't know if you are the real Tohdoh of Miracles or not, but I'll gladly kill you all the same. All units open fire!"

Before the order could be carried out however, Urabe and Senba's _Akatsukis_ dove down out of nowhere and unleashed their back handguns into several of the _Sutherlands_, causing them to erupt in a collective fiery death. As the remaining units turned their attention from the _Zangetsu_ toward defending themselves, Tohdoh used the opportunity to send his knightmare forward at full speed, intent on driving his seidotou right through the offending _Gloucester_. Much to his surprise however, Kimmel was not only quick enough to defend himself from his strike, but at the same time reactivated his float system and took off into the air. At that, Tohdoh reactivated his own air glide wing system and took off after him, easily overtaking the fifth generation knightmare and once more engaging the Admiral in a melee.

From the beginning it was apparent that the Admiral was not a professional pilot by any stretch of the imagination; whether it was because of his age or just that he may not have known what he was doing, it was all too easy for a master-class pilot like Tohdoh to deflect his wayward strikes, not even having to put forth effort in dodging them. He drove the point of Kimmel's inferiority home when he had the _Zangetsu_ bank right and cut off the _Gloucester_'s right shoulder pauldron, moving and striking too fast for Kimmel to defend. And as the Admiral realized that he didn't stand a chance of survival, his voice began to cry hurriedly out over Tohdoh's comm. system.

"It's impossible!" Kimmel blurted as he swung his swords wildly, eyes wide with defiance to the end even as the _Zangetsu_ continued to fluidly evade his attacks. "We purged you! Eradicated you! The Devastation drove you damned monkeys to extinction!"

"And you were arrogant fools to believe that!" Tohdoh shouted back, this time slicing off the _Gloucester_'s legs in a sweeping cut. "Yes, many Japanese died that day, as did many Britannians. But enough remained, and now...!" he cut off the left arm, sending it and the maser vibration sword it clutched falling away. _"...we have returned to exact our long overdue vengeance!"_

Kimmel let out one last deep throated roar as attempted to hold his own against the Black Knight General, if only for a moment longer. "You should have remained in hiding scum!" the Admiral stated. "I may die here, but others will rise up to finish where the Devastation left off! The day of reckoning will come Eleven!"

Tohdoh only regained his smirk at that proclamation. "I'm looking forward to it Britannian." And with that, Tohdoh performed an upward slash that severed the _Gloucester_'s remaining arm and sword, sending it down with the other limbs. But even after performing the slash, Tohdoh did not disengage the rocket boosters on the seidotou; instead, he redirected the sword's velocity so that it would force the _Zangetsu_ into a split second two hundred and seventy degree spin. As such, when the black knightmare returned to facing the _Gloucester_, its forward momentum was augmented even further, sending the Black Knight machine into a forward charge passed its Britannian opponent.

All Kimmel was able to see from this maneuver was the golden flash of the seidotou blade, before nothing at all. Had he been able to keep track of the movement, he would have seen the blade passing through the _Gloucester_'s torso at a downward angle, continuing into the cockpit block and out the other end, where the rocket sword propelled the _Zangetsu_ several more meters before Tohdoh disengaged the rockets. Simultaneously as the _Zangetsu_ ceased in its movement, the upper half of the _Gloucester_ _slid_ down along the angle Tohdoh had cut, revealing the smoothly severed insides of the Britannian knightmare for all the world to see. At least momentarily, before the residual energy of the superconductor drive destabilized and exploded, taking both halves of the knightmare with it.

In the flash of the explosion, Tohdoh swung the seidotou outward, as if he were signaling his victory to the universe. After taking a moment to catch his breath again, the General switched over to the Four Holy Swords' comm. frequency. "Shogun One to Four Holy Swords, sitrep."

"Shinden One to Shogun One, we've pretty much taken care of the navy yard." Asahina replied from the other end. "Looks like the last of the enemy knightmares were dispatched to. Score one more for the good guys boss."

Tohdoh returned a smile in spite of the unprofessionalism of Asahina's last sentence. "Acknowledged Shinden One." Offhandedly he took a glance toward his onboard clock, and found it was seven minutes to midnight. His smile turned into a frown in response. _Our secondary force should be engaging the combined Britannian fleet right about now..._

* * *

**Britannian _Logres_-class air battleship _Longshanks_**  
**Pacific Ocean  
April 10, 2025 a.t.b.**

The air was thick with tension as the approaching cloud grew closer and closer in the bridge viewports; even though it was night, one could still see it against the backdrop, almost as if it were darker than the sky it existed in. At the present time it had long been established that the cloud was not a natural phenomenon, but that did not stop many of the crew from dreading the worst possibilities; namely, what the cloud was really hiding underneath. The majority believed it was the Black Battleship that had been encountered weeks ago, some of the more superstitious even going so far as to claim that the vessel had been a ghost ship that could slip between the netherworld and the land of the living at will. While that may not have been entirely accurate, most of the crew remained at the edge all the same, and the idea that there may be more than one Black Battleship to contend with this time around did not help matters.

The same could not be said for General Stephen Upson, and it was evident from the leering expression he gave from his command chair at the back of the _Longshanks_' bridge. Obviously he did not buy into ghost stories, and even if he did it would not have mattered to him anyway; whether the ship came from hell or not, he had a score to settle and he would see it through.

Things had not ended well after the last encounter with the mysterious warship with the equally mysterious silver crest on its bow. Though Prince Schneizel had spoken in his defense, thus saving him from being demoted or losing his command, many in the Britannian military command structure as well as in the noble court had come to question Upson's competency over the botched attack. This resulted in many things, such as several of Upson's political allies suddenly forgetting that he existed, as well as a collection of rumors being spread in his regard; the most common of which claimed that Upson had received his Generalship by performing "favors" for one of the more unattractive Princesses. Needless to say this did not play well with Upson, who like any other aspiring noble was utterly dependent on his reputation and good name. He knew that if he ever wanted to move beyond his current position he would have to restore valor to his name, and what better way of doing that than hunting down the very same ghost that had eluded him before?

"Distance to target?" Upson demanded, both his lacking patience and his annoyance showing through. As much as he tried to retain his calm, the anxiety was eating away at him too; the only difference was instead of being fueled by fear of that distant cloud and what monsters it was hiding in its shadow, the anxiety that existed in Upson fed upon his desire for a quick victory. After all, with the bulk of the Britannian Pacific Fleet's air and sea assets, which in turn was made up of elements of the Third Naval Fleet and the Fifth Air Fleet, at his disposal, what did he have to fear from an enemy that cowered behind an artificial weather phenomenon?

"Twenty seven kilometers." one of the operators answered. "We're within firing range General, but are unable to read or lock onto targets due to jamming."

Upson sneered at that. "Order the fleet to arm weapons anyway, and begin launching knightmares and fighters." he ordered, which the bridge operators immediately carried out. "Standby to fire."

"With respect sir, what good will our shots be if we cannot target?" the _Longshanks_' captain, who was right next to Upson, inquired.

"We do not need precise aim here Colonel." Upson replied while resting his head against his right arm. "With the amount of firepower we have at our disposal, we only need fire into the cloud at random; our enemies will then have the choice of being obliterated within their own jamming field or come out into the open and be obliterated anyway."

"What if they try escaping underwater again?" the captain inquired once more.

"They're not going to attempt an escape, not when they've come this far." Upson replied. He then raised his left hand and signaled with his index and middle fingers. "First salvo on my mark..."

"General, I'm receiving a signal!" the comm. operator reported as he reached up to his headset.

At that, Upson's expression turned from one of impatience to peculiarity. Could the enemy commander be contacting them to surrender? As much as he wanted to believe that, something in his gut told him otherwise. "What is it?"

"It's sounds like Morse Code..." the operator listened, trying to sound out the words from the beeps and spaces. "...Smile...Wait...For...The...Flash... That's the message sir."

"What in the...?" Upson let out with an arched eyebrow.

Something flashed red from the sensor console, and the surprised voice of the operator quickly cut the General's muttering. "Heat source detected! One missile launch from the cloud, headed toward our position!"

"What...one missile?" Upson asked to no one in particular, wearing an ever more confused expression that was matched by everyone on the bridge. "What do they expect to do with...?"

Suddenly Upson felt his blood freeze in his veins and his eyes widen from dawning realization. In an instant he remembered the Black Battleship's escape over the pacific once more, and in that same instant, he realized that there was only one reason why the enemy would only fire a single missile at his fleet. From that point forward, the General felt time suddenly accelerate as he leapt to his feet and began shouting orders.

**"SHOOT IT DOWN!"** he screamed out at the top of his lungs, his baritone voice reverberating around the confines of the bridge. **"ALL SHIPS, ARM CIWS AND TARGET INCOMING MISSILE! ****DO NOT LET IT...!**"

Upson was unable to say any more as the Raikou shed its outer shell and dispensed its payload across the Britannian fleet, creating a multitude of liquid sakuradite fueled shockwaves that overtook both air and sea forces at great speed. The _Longshanks_ was the first to be struck, as the missile had been specifically aimed to detonate over its established position; as a result, the last thing Upson and many other Britannians saw was the whole world fading into magenta, before becoming nothing at all.

Soon enough the shockwaves faded away, leaving the world as it had existed before, minus several Britannian capital ships, support craft and their respective crews. The attack itself had not wiped out the entirety of the Britannian forces, but then that was unnecessary as far as the attackers were concerned; the Britannian forces were now broken, with massive holes in their formation and completely demoralized and frantic crews manning the remaining ships and knightmares. Many of the lesser disciplined crews broke out into full panic, taking on evasive maneuvers out of training or fear or both, which in turn resulted at best in ships breaking out of attack formation and at worst in uncoordinated vessels going into collisions with each other. It was much the same with the remaining knightmares and fighters, as their pilots suddenly realized that they were up against something even their machines, as effective as they were on just about every craft conceived by man, would not be able to make a difference against. The more experienced and determined commanders attempted to bring order to the chaos, sending out to commands for all ships to remain in formation and lay down fire into the cloud as the late General Upson had previously ordered, but their words were only lost in the radio traffic. All of this cumulated to the Britannians being helpless and vulnerable, completely open to a follow up attack of any kind.

And it was at that point the Black Knights chose to strike. Finally abandoning their shroud, the black dagger shaped hulls of the Black Knight air cruisers _Akagi_ and _Hiei_ pressed forward in the air, while under the sea the submarines _Ryujin_ and _Isonade_ disengaged and shed their radiant wave generators, all moving against the disparaged Britannians like hawks and sharks. Before anyone on the opposite sides realized what was happening, the cruisers began filling the sky with _Akatsukis_ and _Akatsuki Jikisanshiyos_ while subs deployed squadrons of aquatic oriented _Akatsuki Mizushikis_, all the while firing their respective allotments of hyper-velocity cannons, missiles and/or torpedoes at their respective targets. Soon after, more Britannian ships and support craft were shot down or sunk, their demises each symbolized by a sudden burst of light and flame erupting from one area after another, all while individual units attempted to mount counterattacks against their still unknown aggressors, but to no great avail.

Sometime later, elements of the Seventh Naval Fleet would hold search and rescue operations over the area, picking up the survivors of the ruined expedition. Each survivor would be debriefed upon the battle by the Ministry of Defense, and in turn each survivor would have a different account of the battle. However, among each debriefing, there would be one commonality linked between the cold, shell shaken survivors.

They all recalled the enemy's emblem, a silver winged sword.

* * *

**Bering Palace  
Saint George Island, Duchy of Alaska, Area 1 (North America), Holy Britannian Empire  
April 11, 2025 a.t.b.**

The cold wind was picking up now, as if putting out a more vehement warning of a coming storm when all others had been ignored. The sounds of crashing waves against the coast in the distance also marked this development, with each one sounding more akin to a thunderclap than water being sprayed against rock and sand. Combined with the surrounding darkness, one could almost claim that the storm was already upon the island, the little known island that sat in the northern Pacific, nestled comfortably between Russia and Alaska. As such, those that inhabited the island, of which there were very few in number, had all sought proper lodgings for the rest of the evening, where they would all remain until the storm had come to pass like those before it. That is, all except for _her_.

Despite the cries of her servants for her safety and health, she had chosen to remain outside, if only for a little while longer, as she wanted to face this coming storm head on. Unlike those around her, she was not afraid of the darkness; in fact, she had spent a good portion of her life living in total darkness, enough that no black storm nor "everlasting" night could ever frighten her again. The cold, on the other hand, was a different matter, as she had spent a good portion of her life living in warmer climates; as such, the cold wind and presently minute rainfall posed a greater challenge to her than the dark, and the temptation of returning to her own lodgings for an open fire, a warm cup of tea and an equally warm bed grew with each moment. However, her inner strength kept her firm, and so she remained where she was, even in the face of the growing abyss.

It was moments like these that she believed her perception of the world around her became clearer to her, as if the hindrances to her physical senses allowed her more innate ones to awaken and grow. While she had always been skeptical of the idea of extrasensory perception, or as it was more formally referred as "telepathy", she had to admit that in the face of this storm she could "see" things much differently than she would have on a warm summer's day. It was almost as though she didn't just feel the storm moving in front of her and the wind around her, but she could also feel _beyond_ the storm and into the place that would have been blotted out by its shroud. That, in its barest essence, was part of the reason that she remained where she was, as it wasn't the storm in front of her that frightened her, but rather the storm _far beyond _what she felt here and now which instilled her with fear.

Yes, there was another storm out there, far more violent and overpowering than the one that was moving over the island that she dwelled upon. She felt that storm coming for some time, eight years to be exact, and throughout that time period she had attempted to mentally prepare herself for its approach. Yes, she had been told that she would be safe in her current lodgings, that she would be out of reach for what was to come, but even if that were true, it didn't keep her from fearing, both for herself and for all others. In truth, her haven only made her feel that much more helpless, in a much different manner than her disabilities did, as she would have rather aided those who had to face the storm in whatever way she could than be cocooned in her safe and comfortable fortress. Naturally, she had repeatedly volunteered her service to those that gave her this haven, but each time they had politely refused her, as they deemed her safety and survival above all else.

But perhaps the most damning thing about this storm wasn't its hellish ferocity or its great size, nor even the destruction that it threatened to unleash, but rather the simple fact that she, indirectly, had been the cause of it all. Yes, as if Fate itself had taken everything she had desired and twisted it to its own evil ends, she had been the one that had inspired the storm's creation from the beginning. Back then she had held no idea of what her words had wrought, what the utterance of her greatest wish had brought forth into existence. And even as the storm raged around her in its imperfect form, she had remained, for lack of better description, in the dark throughout it all, totally unaffected and untouched by its malice and unknowing of her part in its drive. But now she knew, just as she also knew that she was powerless to stop it from occurring again after eight years. Like it or not, the words had been spoken, and she could no more take them back than she could right the wrongs of history itself.

And now she could feel that other storm begin to move. For the longest time it had remained dormant, but now, as she gazed toward the south, she knew it was alive again, its fury now in full and its path of destruction laid out. As of now, it was only beginning where it had left off, but it would only grow with time and power, and much like the terrors described in the Book of Revelations, it would move over the entire earth like a shadow, destroying everything in its path until it reached the very purpose of its creation. And worse yet, even with that knowledge, she could not shake the feeling that it would all end with that one storm.

That, as impossible as it sounded, there was an even darker abyss that lay upon the horizon, waiting for its own time of awakening...

Suddenly she felt her seat vibrate as someone had reached out and grabbed the handles to her wheelchair. "I'm sorry Mistress, but I must insist now." she heard her head servant tell her. "The storm is almost upon us, and it would not do you well to remain outside."

At that, she felt herself chuckle on the inside, both at the irony of the first part of her servant's proclamation, and to the futility of the second part. In spite of her wish to remain out a little longer, she decided to finally resign herself to the warm comforts of her new home. "Yes, I believe you are correct. I'm sorry to have worried you."

Even though she could not see it, she knew that the head servant only smiled down at her. "Your Highness need not apologize, as she bears no fault." she stated, continuing on. "I've already rekindled the fire and prepared a new pot of Earl Grey. However, if you wish it, I can have your bed ready for you in only a moment's time."

She considered that. "I think I would sleep better after some tea, perhaps with scones."

Once more even without seeing it, she could tell her servant had nodded at her request. "As you wish Your Highness."

From that point, the head servant said no more throughout the trip back to the palace, thus allowing her to be alone with her thoughts once more. Yet even as she felt herself move closer and closer to home and farther and farther from the cold, the wind and the occurring chaos, she could still feel the storm to the south continuing to brew and grow. And within the storm's eye, she could see the images of men and women fighting each other under the watch of one man, the very man that was at the center of it all and had been from the beginning. The very same man that had, for the longest time, looked after her and aspired to grant her greatest wish, just as any loving older brother would do for his little sister. Even if it meant drowning himself in darkness to accomplish it.

For that and many other things, Nunnally vi Britannia, Eleventh Princess of the Holy Britannian Empire, found herself fearing for the future.

* * *

**Pearl Harbor Naval Base  
County of Crusoe, Area 7 (Sandwich Islands), Holy Britannian Empire  
April 10, 2025 a.t.b.**

Shooting forward, Lelouch slashed his right Spatha Luminous down the side of a _Swiftsure_-class naval frigate, creating a massive gash across the hull. He supplemented this attack by moving upward and cutting into the vessel's bridge and gun platforms as well, causing a number of explosions to rock the ship, but not before the black and gold knightmare escaped to safe distance. As the frigate became engulfed in its death throes, more enemy knightmares attempted to intercept its killer, but they became washed away in the _Gawain_'s crimson hadron fire, their frames literally melting around them in midair before detonating en masse.

With the latest threat against him vanquished, Lelouch was about to move away and track down another target, but something inside kept him from doing so. He wasn't sure what that something was; he had felt it several times before in previous battles, where it would intervene just as he was about to give a certain order or perform a certain action, only to direct him to a different course of outcome that he had not considered. If he were to come up with a designation for it, he probably would have called it his gut or instinct or even sixth sense, but even with all those terms he still did not have a full grasp of what this force inside of him was. But that wasn't important right; what was important was that it was now telling him that he had accomplished what he had set out to do and that now was the best time to declare victory.

Still, ever known for being thorough, Lelouch wanted to confirm with his sense of sight whether this was indeed true victory. Pulling back on his controls, he had the _Gawain_ gain altitude and move toward the south, until it was at the estimated point it had been when Lelouch had declared the enemy gate fallen and ordered the Black Knights to advance. And just like that moment, he turned back and looked down to the enemy fortress before him, only this time it was far different than what he had seen earlier.

Compared to the "minute" destruction that he had seen at the beginning, what lay before him now could only be described by one word: Hell. Where there had once been a Britannian naval base, now stood an ocean of flames, the result of what he estimated to being over ninety percent of Pearl Harbor being neutralized or outright destroyed. Everything from the warship docks to the navy yard to even the power centers were now in flaming ruin, their individual pyres coming together to form the vastness of the inferno, which shown as brightly and as terrifyingly as the death of a star. Just as well, there were very few warships and support units remaining now; even from his high up position, Lelouch could see and detect only a select number of active enemy combatants on the field below, and those that remained were actively being hunted down and slain in rapid succession, just like their brethren. This was only made evident further when Lelouch's sensors detected a pair of _Sutherlands_ attempting to flee toward the eastern end of the island, perhaps to disappear into the surrounding wilderness or in some vain attempt to reach the Britannian mainland itself, only to be intercepted and cut down by a group of _Akatsukis_ before either knightmare could fire a shot. The grimness of the scene was quite evident.  
**  
**As he continued to gaze at the end result of his grand scheme, Lelouch couldn't for the life of him determine how felt about it. At the beginning, he had only felt pride for the success of his work, having breached the enemy defenses and led his army to invade their fortress, all while suffering little if any losses in doing so. Now, the fortress had been sacked, its defenders wiped out and its treasures looted, and still Lelouch's army had suffered little if any losses in doing so. And yet, Lelouch was not sure whether he should have felt proud of his accomplishments here, or whether he should have despaired at the destruction he and his cohorts had caused in the name of their noble cause.

That all said, there was one thing that had not changed for Lelouch, from the beginning of the battle up to now: his course was now set and his war was now in full swing. No matter how he felt about it within, this was only the beginning play, the first movements of the pawns in the great match he was holding against his former homeland and his father. There would be more like this in the near future as more and more pieces were exchanged, perhaps some even more destructive and hellish than what he beheld now. And through all of that destruction and chaos, Lelouch would only push forward, as it was the only way for the world he envisioned, the same world that others had come to envision as well, to be born for all.

_I will remember this._ Lelouch thought, as he gazed into the flames._ I _must_ remember this, so that I may never forget what must be done. Just as Pandora opened her box and released, among the great evils, the gift of Hope._

The sudden beeping of his comm. system forced him out of his thoughts. "_Ikaruga_ to Gyoku One! Come in!"

Lelouch arched an eyebrow; Mutsuki sounded far too panicked for everything that was happening. "Go ahead _Ikaruga_."

"Gyoku One, we've just detected an incoming contact from the east! It looks to be an enemy knightmare!" Mutsuki called out.

Lelouch's felt his brow furrowed. _Just one knightmare?_ Upon his processing that line of thought, he suddenly felt his blood run cold in its veins and sweat begin to form on his forehead. _It couldn't be...!_

"Gyoku One, it's me." Ohgi suddenly intervened over the radio. "We've just confirmed the incoming unit. It's the _Lancelot_!"

And all at once, the world darkened around Lelouch as he felt the light go out of his eyes and his mouth release a despaired, horrified gasp. The one scenario he had considered and hoped for the life of him would never occur, the one outcome of this entire battle that he feared so much that he had hoped to God it would not come to be, had just came into being. Without even thinking about it further, he began barking orders once more. "Order all units to scrub remaining mission objectives and return! Now! I want them on standby to intercept!"

"Shouldn't we retreat Gyoku One?" Ohgi asked. One could hear the panic in his own voice, even though he did a good job of keeping it from dominating his mentality.

"Negative, we'll risk enemy pursuit!" Lelouch stated with finality. "If the _Lancelot_ is here, then there will be a carrier force behind it! We must neutralize them, before they can follow us back to Yomi!"

There was a pause on the other end, before Ohgi answered. "Acknowledged."

The transmission was soon cut off, leaving Lelouch alone against the backdrop of the flames. Only this time, he was not staring at the fire below him, but rather the horizon to the east, where the one man he had most dreaded encountering on this very night, the one man that had for the longest time been his true friend, was coming for him from.

_Suzaku..._

* * *

TO BE CONTINUED...

**Author's Notes:** Yes, I know this chapter is late, and I apologize for it profusely. However, it is not late due to (just) laziness on my part: to it put it bluntly, my grandfather on my dad's side passed away in the last week of June. He had been sick for a long time, which would have been difficult for most non-family members to see as he held the trademark headstrong and joyous attitude of the Greatest Generation. Unfortunately however, his body could not keep up to his age like his spirit could, and he spent his final month in the hospital, slowly degenerating until finally passing in his sleep on June 27 at 5:20 AM. Needless to say, the strain that had been put on my family and myself was a great one, and even now many of my relatives have not recovered from his passing. As for me, I weathered it better than others, but it still threw me into a writer's block that took me a while to get out of, as well as drop out of contact for certain people.

Besides that, for the World War II buffs out there, my grandfather was a vet, serving in the US Navy aboard the destroyer escort USS _Carroll_ (DE-171). He joined the Navy in 1943, in which he lied about his age to get through enlistment (something I greatly respect and admire him for), and became one of the few to serve in both the European (Atlantic) and Pacific Theaters, as the _Carroll_ was reassigned to the Pacific Fleet after final victory in Germany. Information on his ship can be found here (en .wikipedia wiki/ USS_Carroll_(DE-171)).

Anyway, regardless of the wait, I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter, as I really had to go all out on it (and I still _didn't_ manage to put in everything intended). And yes, I know this chapter is absurdly long (longest I've written so far), perhaps even repetitive at certain points, but I figure if nothing else it sets things up for the biggest fight to be seen, so it's not all bad. :-D


	15. Chapter 15: Fire in the Sky

_"A man does what he must - in spite of personal consequences, in spite of obstacles and dangers and pressures - and that is the basis of all human morality.__"_  
- Winston Churchill

**Chapter 15: Fire In the Sky**

**Athena Palace  
Pendragon, Holy Britannian Empire  
April 11, 2025 a.t.b.**

Feeling the unmistakable chill of cold air brush against his skin, Gilbert G.P. Guilford's eyes slowly but surely fluttered open. It took several moments for him to remember where he was, as well as several moments for the daze to clear from his vision, but once those had past he stirred and looked upward into the bedroom that he was currently occupying, searching for the reason why he suddenly felt cold. Immediately he found it: the one that had been laying next to him in the bed was no longer there.

"Your Highness...?" he murmured, before finally sitting up and looking around, his eventually settling toward the nearby bedroom window. Though his vision was a little blurry without his glasses, he could still see a familiar silhouette there.

Standing in front of the window even as the rain fell against it and the lightning sounded, Cornelia seemed frozen in place, akin to a statue rather than a human being. She wore no clothes as she was, apparently unconcerned with covering herself at this time, though the darkness was enough that this could only be verified whenever lightning flashed. Beyond that detail, she was currently facing away from Guilford, such that the royal knight could only see his liege's back and her magenta colored hair, while apparently staring into the distance of the storm, in a seemingly transfixed state. Needless to say, Guilford immediately felt something was wrong and got up from the bed himself, his concern for her outweighing the fact he too was in the nude, and that he had no cover against the cold.

"So you can't sleep either Gilbert..." Cornelia murmured, just as another lightning burst lit up the sky followed by a thunderclap. Instead of her usual harsh, dominating tone, her voice was now hollowed and mellow, having taken a ghost-like quality that put her loyal knight on greater edge than he had been moments ago.

"Your Highness, it isn't safe for you to be there." Guilford spoke up, clearly worried. Unfortunately, this had no effect on the Princess, forcing Guilford to continue toward her, all the while speaking. "Please, come back before you become ill."

Despite the obvious concern for her safety, Cornelia only remained where she was, and even when Guilford came up right behind her she refused to turn and face him. Instead, her eyes continued to gaze out into the black outside. "Eight years Guilford." she started again. "It's been eight years since I've stared out into a darkness such as this one. It's almost...nostalgic."

Guilford gave no reply, prompting Cornelia to continue. "Don't you feel the same Guilford? Does it not remind you of that very night, when the world you and I knew suddenly changed? The same night that came..."

The princess' head tilted down. "...after the day _she_ died."

Even as those words were uttered, Guilford said nothing, instead keeping his eyes trained on the back of his liege's head, unconsciously taking her violet hair into detail. More specifically, he couldn't find any words to speak at that moment, in spite of the knot growing in his stomach and the shame he felt at seeing his Princess as she was now and not being able to do anything about it. It was perhaps the hardest thing he had ever been forced to endure, and no matter how many years came and went since the day she was referring to, it never got easier for him to stand his ground. The only thing that held him back was the fear that, should he attempt to speak out, he may only damage her further, increase the number of cracks that had remained on her originally iron resolve since the Black Rebellion, which was something the knight swore to himself that he would never do. Even if it meant enduring as he was now, as he always had done.

It had been a harsh eight years, to use the least of terms. Though physically Second Princess Cornelia li Britannia had survived the destruction of Area 11 and all the events that had transpired beforehand, it still felt as though the Witch of Britannia had still perished alongside those one hundred thirty million or so, leaving only a hollowed shell behind. Yes, she retained her strong and militant appearance around her soldiers, as well as her fierce disposition in whatever form of combat she took part in, but only Guilford, and perhaps Second Prince Schneizel who Cornelia was still close to, could tell that these were all acts for the benefit of others. The _real_ Cornelia, as it were, was the one standing in front of Guilford now, looking out into the storm; cold, broken, defeated and suffering from wounds that would never heal, even when the cuts, bruises and broken bones that she had endured from that conflict had long passed. Such was the continuing effect of her sister's death, combined with the horrid truth she had beheld upon the roof of the Area 11 Government Bureau just before Operation Nero had been carried out.

For all of his dedication and love for her, Guilford remained at her side and tried to ease her internal turmoil as best he could, both professionally and intimately, but it had been far from easy. Her pain ran deep and the fiery spirit that she had originally been renowned for was long diminished, and Guilford knew that there was very little he could do as her knight and her lover. But even so, he stayed by her, in the hope that his continued service to her and whatever comfort that he could give her would be enough to alleviate at least some of her being. He had even taken to being more proactive around her at times, such as stepping in to convince her from resigning her commission in the Imperial Army completely, though he had been unable to sway her into retaining her position as Chief General as well, as well as keeping her motivated in her other duties as a soldier and a royal.

But even so, despite everything he had done and would do for her, Guilford knew all too well the single grave fact: the Princess Cornelia he had known, the woman that he had fallen in love with in the very beginning, was gone. One more casualty in the chaos of After Throne Britannia, and yet one that hurt him far more than anything else, including the deaths of Andreas Darlton and the Glaston Knights, minus one, during the Black Rebellion.

"I can still see her face at that time..." Cornelia continued as another pang of thunder sounded. Slowly she reached out and placed her palm upon the cold glass. "...she was so hopeful, so sure that her plans would work out, even when I kept voicing my objections." she took a moment to sigh. "I yelled at her, pleaded with her to change her mind, and when she refused, I called her naive, told her she was denying the natural order of things. And in my anger I said I would never forgive her for throwing away her title and her family name for such 'nonsensical' ideals...that I would hate her for her stupidity."

Cornelia closed her eyes as she felt tears starting to well up, taking her palm off the wall. "If only I had known that would be our last conversation..." her voice began to tremble. "...if only I could have told her, before the end, that I never meant any of it, that I never stopped loving her..." she finally turned away as the dam began to break.

"Princess..." Guilford spoke, though he began to feel his own hands shake, and not from the cold. Again he tried to come up with something to say, some way of reassuring her that Euphemia did not die believing her older sister hated her, but he knew none of his words would be able to change Cornelia's belief in the opposite.

"And yet, there's one thing that hurts me far worse than that..." Cornelia forced herself to look forward again, only this time she allowed tears to flow out. "...something that I realized a long time ago, but never had the courage to admitting... Do you know what that is Guilford?"

And again, Guilford felt no words formulate in his mind, nor his voice speak out an answer.

"...that she had been right." Cornelia stated plainly, and yet sounding far more defeated than Guilford had ever thought possible. "She had been right all along in her ideals and actions, her drive for a better world, and I was the one that had been wrong, in keeping to the status quo. She saw something that the rest of us had been blind to, something that could have changed the whole of our existence, our very reality, and it's only after her death that I came to realize it. When it was too late."

It did not take long before the knuckles popped in Cornelia's closed, trembling fist. "And now...just look out there Guilford." she stated, her teeth clenching together as more tears fell. "The world you and I fought for is slowly destroying itself in a war brought on by tyrants, while the one hope we had in salvation is lost forever, all thanks to a cruel twist of fate. And I, for everything I've accomplished, am powerless to do anything about it."

Cornelia's breathing picked up with each word, until it seemed like she was hyperventilating. "I, the great Cornelia li Britannia, can't even do what my naive little sister was able to...!" she snarled in clear self-hate, feeling the tension wash over her like a tidal wave.

At that, before Cornelia could do anything else, Guilford crossed the threshold and wrapped his arms around his princess, holding her against him with all the strength he could muster. Within the warmth and firmness of his embrace, Cornelia remained tense initially, but slowly her breathing began to even out and she became more and more at ease. Eventually, she allowed herself to melt into his hold, reaching her own arms up to hold onto his lovingly, even if her tears did not stop.

"You're not the only one who feels this way, Princess..." Guilford spoke softly, trying to ease whatever tension was left out of her. "I...I also did not believe in Princess Euphemia's vision, and I regret with all my heart that it took the destruction of Area 11 to change that. It pains me further that I myself am unable to carry out that vision, not with my bloodstained hands."

Cornelia sighed with some disgust at that mentioning. "If anything it's ironic. The same deeds that made us into celebrated warriors among our Empire also keep us from accomplishing what Euphie was able to do with her purity and innocence. At least until Zero..."

The knight could feel as the princess' muscles seemed to ripple at that name. Then slowly, Cornelia turned around in the embrace, so that she could look straight into Guilford's eyes, and again it took all of Guilford's strength not to buckle under the gaze of the teary, violet orbs. Especially when semblances of fury began to emerge behind them.

"I swear Guilford..." Cornelia stated, her voice now having regained its familiar edge. "...I swear I will track that bastard down and finish what started that night. If I must chase him through deserts and tundra, and the flames of Hell itself, I will not rest until Euphie's soul is vindicated."

The two stood like that for several moments longer, as Cornelia's fierce gaze continued to stare straight up into Guilford's hesitant eyes. And then, Cornelia finally spoke again, breaking eye contact to glance away. "No, I do not think that will bring my sister's vision to life." Cornelia stated, answering Guilford's unspoken question. "Nor do I think it will change things for the better. But even so, this is all I can do for her now Guilford, and whether she would want me to or not, I must try."

She looked back up at him again, this time her eyes holding a softer, yet unsure glance. "Can I count on you to follow me when the time comes, no matter where the path may lead?"

This time, there was no hesitation in Guilford's response. "You know the answer to that question, Your Highness." he spoke with a reassuring smirk. "I swore to you long ago that I would follow you to the ends of the Earth itself, and I am nothing if I can't keep my vows."

Cornelia nodded as touching reassurance appearing in her expression, though some sadness still remained in her eyes. "Thank you, my knight." she said simply, before leaning up to kiss Guilford, who immediately returned it.

* * *

**Pearl Harbor Naval Base  
County of Crusoe, Area 7 (Sandwich Islands), Holy Britannian Empire  
April 11, 2025 a.t.b.**

Akin to a white falcon soaring across the night sky, the _Lancelot Conquista_ continued on its approach vector from the east, heading straight toward the burning island of Crusoe at its top flight speed. And as he watched it through the _Gawain_'s main cameras, which were still transmitting data to his mask's HMDS, Lelouch could almost swear he felt his left eye burn from the sight, as the memories of the one who had inflicted the scar that now lay across it entered his conscious mind. A myriad of emotions ran beside those memories, each one unique in its own nature but still merging together as if to overwhelm him.

It was a strange twist of fate to say the least. More than once, Lelouch's gaze had befallen over the white and gold armored machine, the star product of the Imperial Army's Advanced Special Envoy Engineering Corps "Camelot" and pinnacle of Britannian technology and ingenuity, to the point that it had long become a normal fixture to him. In fact, had it been only a few weeks ago, Lelouch would have recognized the knightmare as his ally, and its pilot as one of his dearest friends and most loyal commanders in the North African campaign. At the least he would have thought nothing of the _Lancelot_'s approach, as it had been a common sight for him to see it fly up and join his _Gawain_ in combat formation, and at the most he would have been visibly relieved to see it move toward the action, as it could only mean vital support was on the way. His radio would soon become filled with chatter as his Britannian troops would confirm its charge almost in celebration, while intercepted transmissions from European troops would only display their collective fear and hatred for the white knightmare and its pilot. And then, once the mighty _Lancelot_ engaged in battle, it would not have been long before it would clear a way straight through the enemy's formation and defenses, and Lelouch would not waste in any time ordering his troops to advance. Victory would not be far behind.

But now everything was in reverse. Instead of welcoming the _Lancelot Conquista_'s approach, Lelouch found himself _dreading_ it in an all too familiar way, just like he had all throughout the Japanese Insurrection. Though he did his best to keep the emotion off of his face and out of his voice, he truly was _afraid_ of that machine and what it was capable of, as many times in the past its mere presence on the battlefield would throw out his best laid plans. At Shinjuku it had singlehandedly wiped out his entire knightmare force, thus preventing them from securing the prefecture and capturing Clovis, and would have killed him had Kallen not intervened. At Narita it had prevented him from capturing Cornelia, fought off the _Guren Nishiki_ in their first duel and then almost captured him in turn, only to be stalled at the last minute by C.C.'s intervention. At Kyoto it again had prevented him from capturing Cornelia, even when Lelouch had skillfully wiped out the bulk of her forces by utilizing the JLF tanker as bait and detonating it once it was boarded, and again he was only saved by Kallen's timely intervention with the _Guren Nishiki_, but not before his _Burai_ had been totaled and he had been forced to eject, leading to a far direr aftermath. And even when he had formulated an effective attack plan against it at Sagumo Prison, utilizing Tohdoh, the Four Holy Swords, and their newly outfitted _Gekkas_ no less, he was still unable to defeat it, and the following encounters at Shikine, the SAZ and the Black Rebellion were only that much more painful to when compared to his fear of the pilot inside, Lelouch's fear of the machine itself was little more than an afterthought.

Ever since he had regained his memory and mantle as Zero, he had been outright terrified of what was about to happen in the next few moments, even if he had known it was an inevitable event. Though he had fought beside him for the last three years or so, this would be the first time Lelouch would see Suzaku again in both their true forms since their last meeting before the Emperor, when Suzaku had outright betrayed him to his father for ascension to the Knights of the Round. The revolutionary prince made no illusions to himself about what Suzaku thought of him now; as far as Suzaku knew, Lelouch had intentionally used Geass on the woman he loved and forced her to commit atrocities for his own gain, turned the Japanese people into his army of pawns and then set off a chain of events that led to the Devastation itself. At their last encounter on Kamine before his capture, Suzaku had claimed that his very existence was a mistake and that he had to be erased from the face of the Earth, and only the last semblance of their friendship prevented Suzaku from shooting Lelouch dead, just as it had done the same for Lelouch.

As such, even when he had known this would come to pass sooner or later, Lelouch, for one of the few times in his existence, had no plan in place or strategy to use. He had no rehearsed script, no theatric performance or waiting miracle to use against his former friend, and though he had long become acquainted to Suzaku's fighting style and the _Lancelot Conquista_'s capabilities, he did not know whether or not he could hold his own against either pilot or knightmare in a true battle. He was literally about to face his best friend and his worst enemy with only his spirit, instinct and the power of the _Gawain_ at his disposal. All he could hope for was that it would be enough.

_Is it the same for you Suzaku?_ Lelouch thought as the image of the white knightmare drew ever closer. Even without a visual reference on his HMDS, he could already picture the Knight of Seven's image in his mind's eye, guiding his loyal steed toward the burning island with as impassive of an expression as he could muster. _Are you feeling the same fear and anxiety as I am? Are you just an unsure at how to proceed against me, even knowing many of my weaknesses as you would, as I am against you?_

No answer came of course, but it would not be long before he found out. By now the _Lancelot_ was barely a few dozen kilometers away from the island, but even so, it did not change its course, nor did it direct itself toward any of the other Black Knight units, nor even arm its weapons. It remained in its current flight path, which would take it straight in front of the _Gawain_ itself in only a matter of moments. It was only then that Lelouch understood Suzaku's intentions, and so switched his comlink to broadband. "All units, this is Gyoku One. As of this moment, I will be disengaging from the main force. My final orders are to engage whatever hostiles are following the _Lancelot_ and either destroy or incapacitate them. Command of the operation will be transferred to B-1 and Shogun One."

"Rei Leader to Gyoku One..." Kallen's voice suddenly intervened, sounding more hurried than usual. "I request permission to break off and engage the _Lancelot_."

Lelouch's eyes narrowed. "Request denied. Maintain your position."

"But Zero...!" Kallen attempted to protest, grave concern breaking into her tone.

"That is an _order_, Q-1!" Lelouch barked with more force than he had intended. He also did not mean to use Kallen's alternate callsign, but it had slipped into the sentence in response to her referring to him as Zero. "I will deal with the _Lancelot_ myself. You will lead Zero Squadron and engage whatever additional forces appear. Understood?"

A brief silence intervened before Kallen responded again, her voice now returned to its usual professional tone, albeit a clearly defeated one. "Understood."

"Shogun One to Gyoku One." Tohdoh's voice came in just after Kallen's reply ended. "Orders confirmed. Will move to engage incoming hostiles. Over."

"Roger. All units, good hunting. Gyoku One out." Lelouch said, before signing off for the final _Lancelot_ came into near spitting distance of the _Gawain_, where it immediately halted in midair. For a time, the two units hung there looking out at the other, before Lelouch had the _Gawain_ shift to the left, and then descend toward the burning island below, slowly and evenly, doing nothing provocative. The _Lancelot_ followed suit while matching its descent speed with its much larger brethren, though it seemed like the machine itself was clearly hesitant. Once more it did not draw for its maser vibration swords or its VARIS, and its hadron launcher remained folded back over its cockpit pod, while Lelouch in turn resisted the nagging urge to rearm his own hadron cannons or engage his Spatha Luminous.

Instead, Lelouch kept his gaze firmly straight forward, almost looking into the digitized emerald eyes on the golden faceplate, while he imagined the pilot on the other end did the same toward the _Gawain_'s ruby eyes. It was obvious to any onlooker that both pilots were waiting for the other to attack first, almost expectedly, but neither wanted to commit to firing the first shot, nor to breaking the communications blackout between them. But even so, both Black Prince and White Knight knew it was only a matter of time before one side finally gave and their fated return to Armageddon began...

* * *

**Black Knights air battleship **_**Ikaruga**_**  
Pacific Ocean  
April 11, 2025 a.t.b.**

It did not take long for a new eerie calm to set upon the _Ikaruga_'s bridge after Zero's last command rang out, caused by the entire bridge crew holding their proverbial breaths. They all knew what was coming, but at the same time they did not know _how many_ would be coming over that horizon, and that unknown factor was enough to cause all those present to feel a similar level of dread. That dread was more evident with the "novice" members of the bridge crew, such as the "bridge bunny" trio at the very front, who all stared toward either the bridge's main monitor or their own stations with outright petrifaction; obviously they would do their jobs when the time came, but that didn't stop them for fearing the coming storm. The more experienced and professional, on the other hand, showed no fear physically and instead kept whatever feelings they had buried inside themselves while adopting more "hardened" expressions and postures, the most common of which was something between a leer and a frown, with their arms either crossed or at their sides and their bodies showing no sign of ease whatsoever. Like the novices however, their eyes never wavered from their stations or the bridge's main monitor.

Toward the rear of the bridge, standing at attention with his hands clasped behind his back, it could easily be observed and stated that General Kaname Ohgi was among the latter group. It was only logical; of the presently gathered, he, alongside Minami, had seen more situations like this than he cared to, and while no amount of experience could relieve himself of his own inner fears, he could at least hold back those fears and maintain his respective command and authority, which in turn was one of the factors keeping the _Ikaruga_'s bridge from breaking out into hysterics. Ohgi himself was conscious of this, and had it been any other time or day, he, and several others he could imagine, would have found it all ironic; at what point down the line did he, as soft-hearted and emotional as he was, manage to adopt the hardened, commanding persona of a leader? When did the stand-in leader of a minor resistance movement finally become a true General, both in military rank and in being? And when had it finally come to the point that others relied on him for _his_ command and leadership, believing he would bring them victory? Obviously there was much to contemplate on there, but for the time being Ohgi was more focused on getting back to Okinawa alive alongside his wife, who was still out there with the rest of 9th Squadron, and the rest of the Black Knights.

And then all at once, the hammer fell.

"Additional enemy contacts approaching from zero-nine-zero! Looks like an air fleet!" Ichijiku sounded off just as yellow blips appeared on her display and the main monitor. "Distance nine hundred and closing fast!"

"How many?" Minami replied, not missing a beat and with growing concern.

Ichijiku re-read her display instantly. "One cruiser, three destroyers and multiple knightmares. Confirming IDs now..."

One of the smaller advantages of the _Gawain_'s recapture by the Black Knights was that it had been holding the latest lines of Britannian IFF codes in its main computer core. Though the Britannians would have obviously changed their IFF codes after its capture, such that the Black Knights could not mask their own ships and knightmares under Britannian signals, Rakshata was still able isolate and upload the individual codes of each Imperial ship and vehicle into the Black Knights' general network, thus allowing them to distinguish specific ships and units.

"Destroyers _Plymouth_, _Haverhill_, _Southampton_..." the whole bridge could almost hear her gasp as she looked up with dread upon her answer. "...and the _Avalon_."

Activity nearly froze throughout the bridge as the name was uttered, the implications of that revelation not missed by anyone, especially if her famous patron was onboard her now. Before anyone could react, a staunch female voice began to echo throughout the bridge's comm. system, just as the enemy fleet was coming into visual range.

**"This is Colonel Talia Earhart of the Imperial Britannian cruiser **_**Avalon**_** to all present enemy forces. For the commitment of open aggression against the Empire and her sovereign territories, you are ordered to stand down and surrender, willingly and unconditionally!"** the voice ordered with clear dominating force behind it. It was obvious from the tone alone that this was not any average Brit commander. "**This is your only warning. If you do not surrender, you will be destroyed!"**

The gauntlet was thrown, and for a moment the only response came from Ohgi focusing his leer from under his General issue peaked cap onto the enemy ships. In spite of his inner doubts, he was far from ready to comply with that order. "Minami..."

The _Ikaruga_'s captain, who held a similar leer from under his own peaked cap, immediately understood the indirect order. "Main gun, target the _Avalon_! Fire!"

A moment later, the _Ikaruga_'s main hyper-velocity cannon let loose a rapid burst of electromagnetically accelerated projectiles, each one traveling at speeds up to thirteen times that of sound. In little more than an instant later, the projectiles slammed into the _Avalon_'s bow Blaze Luminous shields and were deflected, but not without causing both physical and psychological shock to run through the entire ship and her crew. The Black Knights return message was quite clear and to the point: the Britannians could take their surrender order and do something anatomically incorrect with it because the battle was on regardless. Meanwhile, the Britannians' reply was just as prompt as the Imperial airships returned fire with their own HV cannons, causing the _Ikaruga_ to come under concentrated fire, though what managed to strike their target was repelled by _Ikaruga_'s radiant wave shielding.

As the air battleship shook from the return fire, Ichijiku's sensors beeped. "Enemy ships and knightmares are now moving on an attack vector!"

"Any Knights of the Round units among them?" Major Jun Kodai, the _Ikaruga_'s youthful Executive Officer, inquired.

Ichijiku checked her instruments again. "Two. The _Tristan_ and the _Mordred_."

As he was forced from the shaking to sit down in the command chair usually reserved for Zero, Ohgi took the information in with grit teeth. Two Knights of the Round would be a handful, but it could have been much worse. But even so, he was not liking the prospects of the battle. While the _Ikaruga_ remained undamaged up to this point, her knightmare forces were thoroughly exhausted from Pearl, and had also taken great losses there, whereas the Britannians were in full spirit and far greater numbers. Even with the technological edge on the Black Knights' side, the odds still valued the Britannians, especially with the _Akagi_ and _Hiei_ too far out of range to provide reinforcements of BKs' own. But even so, Ohgi knew that this battle needed to be fought, both to ensure their escape and to make sure no pursuit followed them back to their safe haven.

With that in mind, he sat back down and tapped a switch on the arm of his chair. "B-1 to all knightmare squadrons, move to Attack Pattern Gamma and advance, Zero Squadron on point! They may have greater numbers, but we're still the Black Knights. Make the Britannians learn and _experience_ that fact _firsthand_!"

Minami did not miss a beat, even when he himself was forced to retake his captain's seat or end up losing his balance. "Helm, match bearing to zero-nine-zero and move to flank! Weapons, continue barrage and establish aerial screening!"

"Bring us closer to their formation." Ohgi added on in an even tone, very much in spite of the enemy fire and the continuous shaking around him. "We'll attack up front and provide support for the knightmares at the same time."

"How close do you want it?" Minami inquired without looking back.

Ohgi's gaze only deepened. "Right down their throats."

Minami nodded and turned back toward the helm station. "Punch it Shima!" he commanded, directly addressing the _Ikaruga_'s helmsman, Lieutenant Mamoru Shima, who immediately complied with the order with earnest.

Ohgi could only clasp his hands together as the bridge once more burst into full activity. A moment later, a great "hum" sounded throughout the bridge as the _Ikaruga_'s air glide wing system engaged at full power, sending the great battleship directly toward the face of the enemy alongside its knightmares.

* * *

Kallen sneered as she looked over her monitors at the cloud of Britannian knightmares that were streaking en masse at her and the rest of the Black Knights. The warships behind the formation had already begun firing their hyper-velocity cannons and missiles while the _Ikaruga_ returned their fire in spades, but both sides' knightmares had yet to fire as they weren't in range just yet to use their own guns. Things were different for her however, as she was quickly moving into firing range for the _Guren Nishiki_'s radiant wave surger to be usable, just as the _Tristan_ and the _Mordred_ were also moving into range to use their own unique energy weapons. But even without those specialty weapons, it wouldn't have been too long before the knightmares engaged each other in a grand melee anyway.

However, it wasn't the Britannians in front of her that she was really worried about, even if they did have two Knights of the Round and one of Britannia's most infamously effective flagships amongst them. Rather, it was the idea of Lelouch fighting Suzaku, or more specifically that homunculus that called itself Suzaku Kururugi, that bothered her to no end, to the point that she was outright afraid even. Despite Lelouch's orders to her, Kallen knew he was not ready to fight Suzaku, neither psychologically nor physically. She had fought Suzaku before at Pendragon, she had looked _into his eyes_, and all she had seen was a cold abyss like no other, a being that existed only to destroy or be destroyed. And as much as Lelouch had claimed he had burned his bridges with Britannia and his artificial existence, Kallen knew all too well that he would never be able to dispense his friendship with Suzaku, nor see him as the monster that he had become; he would call him a fool, he would be angered by his "friend's" foolishness, and maybe he would be able to fight back when provoked, but he would never be able to do what was needed and put the mad dog out of his misery once and for all, whereas Suzaku only saw Lelouch as a "mistake" as he had proclaimed at Kamine and only desired to end _him_.

Kallen gritted her teeth at the thought. _Damn it Lelouch, you can't die here...!_ her mind called out, more out of fear for her "King" than fury. _Not when you've finally returned to us...to me...!_

At that, Kallen knew she was fighting here and now not only to establish an escape for the Black Knights, but also to establish Lelouch's survival. With his evolved piloting skills, Lelouch would obviously be able to hold his own against the Knight of Seven for a time, but he would never be able to win the battle, not when he was handicapped by his own feelings and values, while his opponent was only driven in a mad rage by his. All Kallen could do was hope that the battle in front of her ended before it was too late, as well as hope against hope that Lelouch held it all together long enough for her to intervene, while at the same time kept Suzaku from delivering the death blow. And for that to happen, she had to push her own feelings away and concentrate on this battle first, which was no easy task in itself.

"Rei Leader to Zero Squadron...!" Kallen spoke as she reassumed her role as Zero Squadron's CO, all the while she moved closer toward the radiant wave surger's firing range. "We're going to punch a hole through their formation for the others to follow on! Fan out and engage at will!" her gaze narrowed intensely as she added the next command. _"Don't even think about holding back!"_

"Roger!" all eleven of her subordinates responded at once, driving their _Isshikis_ into the fight alongside their commander. When her indicator went red, Kallen fired off a radiation stream that burned through a flight of _Sutherlands_, causing the rest to break in formation in typical fashion. Soon enough they returned fire with their machine guns, as did the _Guren Isshikis_ with their own surgers, all while the _Guren Nishiki_ lunged up towards the enemy formation and drove through them, opening fire across their ranks at every opportunity. The combined attacks from the twelve _Gurens_, who weaved in an out in the full synchronization one would have come to expect of Zero Squadron, caused the Britannian knightmares to flounder, many of them either being torn to shreds or exploding outright as a result.

As more Britannian knightmares attempted to head them off, causing Kallen to put her _Guren_ into a climb, deflecting the bullets, shells and missiles with her radiant wave shield, while Alfred, Charmelle and Rikichi moved their _Isshikis_ in and supported their commander by cutting her attackers down in great succession. During that time, a _Gloucester_ attempted to move in behind her with its lance posed to impale, but Kallen simply shifted her left arm and fired a single grenade into the commander exclusive unit, taking it out in one shot, before moving on.

Further in, Tayuya's _Isshiki_ was cutting off a neat swathe through the enemy formation alongside Jugo's unit, while the Kobayashi twins were doing much the same but weaving in and out with each other to further confuse the Britannians, as well as making dual attacks on single units. Liliana and Marika were doing much the same on their end of the battlefield, except with certain differences, namely Liliana almost always targeting the cockpit blocks of the enemy knightmares for quick kills while Marika carried out her attacks in an almost robotic manner that matched her personality. And even further on, one could momentarily catch sight of Jirobu's _Guren_ barreling through a formation of _Sutherlands_ on its own, whatever attacks launched against it efficiently deflected with its radiant wave shield, while his wingman Kidomaru trailed behind him and expertly sniped the _Sutherlands_ his partner missed with single bursts from his surger, one after the other.

Still pressing on herself, Kallen and her three wingmen lunged aside near simultaneously as they approached another formation, whose machine guns roared to life and filled the sky with bullets to disperse their advance. The Black Knight knightmares immediately arched around their quarries' shots and charged, the _Gurens'_ radiant wave surgers blazed together, obliterating two _Sutherlands_ in the process. The attack caused the other _Sutherlands_ to identify the _Nishiki_, which was leading the charge, as the "bigger threat", and so they moved against in an attempt to overwhelm it, forcing the _Guren_ to back away momentarily. That soon changed when Kallen drew her fork knife and then shot after her opponents, the first of which was neutralized with a diagonal slash across the torso. The other _Sutherlands_ attempted to scatter, but this proved to be ultimately futile as the _Guren_ was more than fast enough to move from one after the other and cut them apart in equal fashion.

In a desperate effort to defend themselves at close-range, the last two _Sutherlands_ both swapped their rifles and engaged their stun tonfas before making dual charges of their own toward their attacker. Kallen regarded their advanced with annoyance. _Just more flies to be swatted._

With little effort, she reversed the _Guren_ until it was angled face down in midair just as the _Sutherlands_ moved into attack, both of which darted past the red knightmare as a result. With such speed had Kallen pulled the maneuver off that she felt the magnetic restraints across the back of her cockpit draw even greater power to attract the magnets that lined the back of her pilot suit, keeping her firmly placed in her motorcycle style mounting and ensuring that her face did not end up slamming into her monitor, though the resulting G-forces caused a strained growl to escape Kallen's lips. Despite that, the _Guren_ pilot only continued to "flip" her knightmare around until the _Guren_ was perfectly upside down, all the while switching her surger to scatter mode and then firing a crimson funnel of energy into the exposed backs of both knightmares. It wasn't long before both frames superheated and exploded, their proximity to the _Guren_ and lack of proper protection ensuring that they took enough damage to be destroyed outright as opposed to merely disabled.

As her two latest victims were obliterated, Kallen turned her attention back toward her allies, who were only now making their way into the battle. With as much vigilance as their pilots could mount, in spite of all they've been through so far, the jet black, near shadowy knightmare frames of the main Black Knight forces swept across the sky like an airborne cavalry, engaging the Britannian units at every presented opportunity alongside their Zero Squadron brethren. Just behind them the mighty _Ikaruga_ also began to make its presence known to the enemy knightmares, its CIWS and missile launchers blazing away at almost every target that presented itself while its main guns continued their barrage against the Imperial airships, who in turn were making their way into the melee. The real battle, as it were, had just begun.

_We can't waste any more time here..._ Kallen thought in the midst of the chaos, all the while she had the _Guren_ climb higher into the sky. Once she reached her intended altitude, she switched her surger back to its stream setting and leveled it off directly below her, before letting loose a continuous line of crimson energy downward. Akin to the usage of a hadron cannon, she swept the radiant wave stream across the air, obliterating any Britannian knightmare that got caught in its flow while her allies did well to avoid her fire, leaving only death and destruction in its wake. She continued this on for several moments until a good number of _Sutherlands_ and _Gloucesters_ had been properly vaporized from her attack, before swinging her claw to the side and shooting across the air, ready to seek out new targets.

And yet even as she continued to fight the battle in front of her, Kallen's mind still dwelled on the battle in the far distance...

* * *

**Pearl Harbor Naval Base  
County of Crusoe, Area 7 (Sandwich Islands), Holy Britannian Empire  
April 11, 2025 a.t.b.**

The gulf between the two titans was as obvious as the flames that surrounded them. Even as they continued to descend to the ground below, it was quite clear that both of the knightmares' pilots regarded the other unit as the enemy and that any provoking movement would be met with equal and opposite force. At the same time however, it appeared that neither pilot wanted to be the first to attack. Instead, they kept to their individual descents at equal momentum and made no such provoking movements, all the while the dual camera eyes of either unit continued to remain fixed on the other, glowing threateningly in crimson and emerald apiece against the burning compound.

In a matter of moments, both machines finally touched onto the ground below them with twin metallic bangs, their respective float systems simultaneously deactivating and their landspinners folding out from their legs. Beyond that transition however, both frames still remained immobile and unmoving, their silhouettes cast against the fires that burned around them, creating a general scene not unlike one would expect from purgatory. It seemed as though hours would pass between the two before any other action was made, both pilots continuing to size each other up and wait for the silence to be broken and first contact to be made, but at the same time neither had any plan or idea of how to do so. As such, all either Lelouch and Suzaku could do on their respective ends of the battlefield was simply stare back at one another while the memories of eight years ago and afterward played out between them, further complicating the situation and hindering whatever initiative either one of them had.

For Suzaku, one particular memory appeared in his mind's eye with prevalence, specifically that fateful battle at Fukuda Base, Kyushu. The scene before him was almost a complete mirror image of that night, with the burning remains of knightmares and buildings surrounding him, the _Gawain_ in front of him and the confusion he felt in himself at how to handle the situation. Back then it had been a Chinese invasion force that he had been sent to fight, when the Chinese Federation, supported by former members of Genbu Kururugi's cabinet, attempted to gain a foothold on Japan by claiming they had maintained the legitimate government in exile over the last seven years and were now returning it to its rightful position of power. It had been one of Suzaku's most difficult combat sorties, as he ended up fighting his father's ghost again in the form of Atsushi Sawasaki, the former chief cabinet minister of the Kururugi administration now turned Chinese mouthpiece, and the doubt he had felt throughout that battle had very nearly killed him. But then Zero appeared in the _Gawain_ and, through both his presence and his offering a new energy filler for the depleted _Lancelot_, had given Suzaku a renewed initiative to continue fighting; it had been Zero, as well as Euphemia's declaration of love to him only moments prior, that had saved him that night.

But now things couldn't be any more different. The surrounding inferno was now the remnants of a former Britannian naval facility instead of the hadron melted hulks of Chinese _Gun Rus_, the knightmare in front of him was not kneeling before him with an energy filler in hand, but instead standing at its full, towering height as if to purposely loom over the _Lancelot_, and its pilot was no longer offering an alliance to destroy a common enemy, but instead was anticipating full battle between them. And Suzaku himself had come here to do just that; funny how that worked out.

In that moment, he was tempted to quickdraw his VARIS and make the killing shot or draw his MVS, make a mad dash toward his opposite number and attempt the killing stroke; the memories of the _Gawain_'s involvement during the Black Rebellion only fueled that desire. However, even as his thumb twitched over the rollerball trigger on his control stick, Suzaku held back from making the first move just as he had all this time. As much as his duty as the Knight of Seven dictated that he eliminate the _Gawain_ and its pilot with extreme prejudice for its "contributions" to the surrounding destruction, Suzaku didn't want things to go down like that, not with his deep connection to the enemy pilot still holding precedent within him. Yes he had fallen far over the last fifteen years of his lifetime, as the image of his father's ghost had continually reminded him, but he was not an emotionless killing machine just yet; if he was going to fight the _Gawain_, it would be because he had decided for himself that it was his enemy, not Britannia's, and therefore needed to be destroyed by his hand. Just as he would otherwise decide to spare it destruction, though the chances of that happening were about as good as Gino declaring himself celibate.

Even so however, he knew that they would end up staring each other down the entire night with the way things were working out. As such, pushing back the rampant twelve year spanning memories and his own inner doubts from the forefront, he tapped a switch on his main console and established a communication line to the _Gawain_. And after a moment of hesitance, Suzaku finally spoke the question that would break the silence and set everything in motion. "Lelouch..." he started with great hesitance. "...is that you?"

Immediately responding to the question, a video image quickly appeared at the corner of the _Lancelot_'s main monitor, and Suzaku felt his breath catch as his eyes drew in the accompanying image. There sitting in the _Gawain_'s cockpit was a phantom, dressed in an jet black pilot suit of some kind and wearing the mask of Zero over his face, its featureless purple orb-like visor seemingly staring back at Suzaku like a true incarnation of Nietzchean philosophy. After another moment passed between them, the Knight of Seven gazed with continued baited breath as the phantom's right hand reached up to the mask and clutched its fingers around its front, then slowly but surely removed it.

And in a matter of seconds that felt like hours in scope, Suzaku watched as his very existence shattered around him, as the newly unmasked Lelouch, after putting down the mask into a side compartment in the cockpit, opened his eyes and returned a gaze. In his scarred left eye, the sigil of Geass glowed with crimson vehemence, confirming to Suzaku once and for all that his greatest fears had come true. The Demon King lived on.

"...It's strange." Lelouch spoke at long last, in the same dominating and sardonic tone Suzaku remembered and hated from years before. "Though we saw each other only days ago, this feels like the first time we've met in eight years."

At that, Lelouch's mouth folded into a malevolent grin. "But then, it has been that long since we have both seen each other's true face, hasn't it Kururugi?"

Suzaku's face folded in anger at the mocking usage of his last name, as only one man had ever addressed him in that fashion. "So, you have regained your memories, Zero."

"Indeed." Lelouch responded, continuing to look down at Suzaku, both physically and metaphorically. "My memories alongside my army and my power. And I intend to start where I left off with all of them."

"I knew I should have killed you in that damned cave, just to keep you from returning and destroying the world again." Suzaku snarled in return, looking away as he could no longer meet Lelouch's gaze.

Lelouch only laughed derisively, in the same villainous laugh that had echoed in Suzaku's nightmares since the standoff at Kamine, at that declaration. "You give me too much credit. Look around you Kururugi! Even without my hand, the world is already on the path of destruction, all thanks to you and your masters."

"Shut up...!" Suzaku shot back, closing his eyes in an effort to try and come up with a proper response.

Lelouch's grin deepened. "It hurts doesn't it, knowing that this is all the result of your decisions and ideals, knowing that everything you set out to do after your father's death has led to this time and this moment."

Suzaku's shuttered at the taunt, thus giving Lelouch greater incentive to carry on as his words were having great effect. "Tell me, was this all part of your plan to change the world from within, allowing Britannia to do to the world exactly what it did to your country?" he continued, even though he knew what he would say next would cause Suzaku to snap. "Do you truly believe this is what Euphemia would have wanted?"

At the utterance of that name, the Knight of Seven's eyes snapped open and his glare returned with three times its original intensity. His voice grew just as powerful. "You have no right to speak her name!" Suzaku roared, his fist pounding into his control console. "It was because of you that Euphie's vision was not realized! It was because of you that Japan was annihilated, and my people were driven into the shadows! And it's also because of you that I must fight my own kind in the name of a foreign power!"

On his side of the screen, Lelouch only watched intently as the Knight of the Round carried on, causing Suzaku even greater anger toward him as he continued. "For all your rantings about justice, what goal did you accomplish! For what purpose did Euphie and many others die for! What change did you bring about through your rebellion! The answer is none Lelouch! All you did was bring more death and destruction to the world!

Despite the fury of that tangent, Lelouch's ironclad demeanor remained. However, if one looked close enough, one could see his left eye twitch ever so slightly. "And yet you consider yourself one to cast the first stone, Kururugi?"

That one hit home, as Suzaku noticeably grimaced in reply, as if he were physically wounded. At that, Lelouch once more took the initiative, his voice gaining more and more of an edge with each word. "Tell me, just how many have died because of Suzaku Kururugi's hypocrisy? How many innocents died in Japan and are dying now because you chose to join the ranks of the enemy in some naive belief that you could change everything from within, when time and again you were proven wrong? Why was it that hope came from an exile in a Halloween costume instead of the son of Japan's last Prime Minister, who so loved his people that he gave his own father and self-respect to keep them alive?"

That malevolent smile soon returned with full force. "The answer is simple: because you are a coward Kururugi!"

"A coward!" Suzaku bellowed in reply.

"Yes, a coward! One who fears his own reflection no less!" Lelouch called out challengingly. He had no idea how literal that last sentence was, nor how it made Suzaku feel as though he were just disemboweled. "Instead of choosing to rightfully lead your people in your father's place, instead of taking the stand against injustice by joining the resistance, you ran away and became a nameless soldier so that you could die a pathetic death! Your drive to change the system from within didn't come from the needs of the Japanese, but your own regret over ending Genbu Kururugi's life! It was nothing more than a shroud to hide your shame!"

"_Kisama_...!" Suzaku cursed in his native tongue as the accusations continued to have their way with his spirit.

"But then came my sister and suddenly the coward gained a purpose." Lelouch summarized at the end. "Even if the dream was impossible to accomplish."

"You're wrong!" Suzaku shouted out in clear defiance "It wasn't impossible...!"

Again Lelouch laughed derisively, and again Suzaku recoiled from that laugh. And yet at the same time, Lelouch could feel more cracks grow onto his metaphorical play mask from Suzaku's anguish, and it took some effort on his part to maintain his current image. "You're the only one who believed that! Euphie was not as naive as you; she knew what she wanted didn't correspond to reality, which is why she chose to give up the throne just to provide your people with liberty! She willingly traded her rank and status just to gain the tiniest bit of peace she could obtain for others, knowing that even though she could not fulfill her entire dream, at least she would gain Japan a measure of freedom!"

More cracks came about, but Lelouch continued to maintain himself. Yet with each word he uttered, the mask grew only heavier and further broken, evidenced by the increased shakiness and volume of his voice. "If I am wrong, then tell me the reason why! Why did you abandon your ideals and Euphie's legacy, so that you could fight for the system without bringing change!? Why are you now using contemptible means to gain results when you once told me those were worthless!?"

And then as if a hammer had been dropped down, the mask shattered and all of the fury and repressed emotion of Lelouch vi Britannia, not Zero, poured out in one single burst toward his lifelong friend. "**Why did you willingly become the lapdog of the same man who exiled Nunnally and I, enslaved you and your entire race, and then slaughtered them all for trying to regain what was wrongfully taken from them!?** **Tell me, Suzaku!"**

Suzaku nearly recoiled from the rancor in that statement, clearly unprepared for its intensity. Compared to Lelouch's previous taunts, this one held far more desperation and anxiety behind it than he would have ever expected from the one who called himself Zero, the man who only mocked him and played against his weaknesses. In turn, Suzaku found himself gazing back with evident shock as Lelouch hunched over and began panting, as if the outburst itself had exhausted him.

"Tell me..." Lelouch stated, his voice now weary and the desperation remaining in its tone. "...how could you choose _him_ over _us_...?

Another moment of silence soon embraced the setting as Suzaku digested the meaning behind those words. It was obvious now that the man before him was Lelouch his friend, who was openly hurt by his betrayal toward him and unable to comprehend the choices Suzaku had made for himself, and not Zero the villain, who only looked upon him as a fool and an obstacle to be removed. Seeing this, Suzaku tried to think of a proper counter, one that would answer Lelouch's inquiry once and for all. However, in spite of his great efforts, he could not find any words to respond with, as he himself could not come up with a single reason that would have justified his choosing the Emperor's service over all else. Much like a monolith, Lelouch's point stood, firm and unmoving.

Eventually, Suzaku began to speak again, but this time the hatred in his voice was not directed at Lelouch. Rather, it sounded as though it were directed at himself. "...I admit I no longer hold any belief that I myself can change Britannia nor its ways from within, not after all the blood that has been spilled because of my actions." Suzaku started to explain, looking away in clear shame. "I am also no longer worthy of calling myself Euphemia's knight, nor am I worthy of continuing her ideals. I am as you said, nothing more than a tyrant's lapdog."

Lelouch looked up again at that admission, but made no reply or expressed any further emotion. Instead, he simply listened intently just as he had before, while Suzaku explained himself.

"But even so..." Suzaku continued on, his voice regaining its original strenght. "I can still fix everything. I can still see peace brought to the world and keep my mistakes from being repeated, so that others can make the changes from within!"

Lelouch's face became eclipsed with anger once more. "You cannot possibly believe such an idiotic notion, Suzaku...!"

"Not only do I believe it Lelouch..." Suzaku stated with finality. "...but I am also willing to fight for it!"

The Black Prince looked far from pleased with that, and both his regular right eye and his Geass embedded left eye shown with fury toward his friend's apparent foolishness. "Then you truly have learned nothing after all this time! As long as they have free will, humans will never be satisfied with such artificial peace, and another Zero would only rise up to lead them in revolution!"

Despite that, Suzaku remained grounded where he was. "Not if there's another Euphie to show the world that revolution can be made without gunfire or war or death!" he replied with fervor. "Even though Euphie may not have been able to change the entire world, all she had to do was change her portion of it just for others to follow her example! And while I may not be able to live up to her name, those of the next generation surely could, and that is what I am betting on!"

At that, Suzaku reached toward his chest and took hold of the sigil pin, the one that symbolized his knighthood under Euphemia li Britannia, grasping it hard. "That is why the system must be preserved, so that it may change without suffering!"

"A system that has remained in place for over two millennia will never change!" Lelouch responded with even greater strength, feeling his fists tighten around his control sticks until it felt like they were going crush the metal rods with their grasp. "No matter who sits on that throne, no matter who gains the title of Emperor, Britannia will always be the evil empire and will only exist to subjugate the human race!"

He then let out in one great declaration to match Suzaku's earlier one, all the while he ignored the burning sensation behind his scar and left eye. "That is why it and the system it represents must be destroyed entirely, until there is nothing left of either!"

"Such thinking is what brought the Devastation!" Suzaku shot back in his own fury.

"Such thinking is what brought hope to an oppressed people when the world abandoned them!" Lelouch returned fire with equal force.

Another pause soon came between them, as both came to realize that there was no longer any reason to argue. Both had their beliefs, and both had their willingness to see them through, no matter the personal cost and no matter what they would be thought of after. And yet even so, Lelouch was not about to let things remain that way; if there was any chance to avert what he knew was inevitable, then now was the time to reach out. As such, he let his voice drop down to a more even tone as he made his last attempt to save his friend's soul.

"It's not too late Suzaku." Lelouch offered hesitantly. "Both of us have sinned, but there is still time to find redemption. Join me, and we can start down that path by destroying Britannia once and for all!"

As if to put physical emphasis on that statement, he had the Gawain visibly reach out to the Lancelot, much like it had at Kyushu. "After all..." Lelouch added with a small but warm smile. "Together we can accomplish anything, remember?

Suzaku let out a small "heh" at that ultimatum in acknowledgement, once more recounting their days in the Kururugi household so long ago. Back then nothing felt impossible for them as long as they remained together as brothers in arms, just as Lelouch had said now; not even their differences in blood could get in the way of that bond. At the same time however, Suzaku knew those days were long gone, that both he and Lelouch were no longer those children, nor was the world as simple as it appeared back then. Both had made their choices since that time, and there was no turning back now, which is exactly how Suzaku answered.

"...No Lelouch, it is too late." Suzaku replied, feeling the darkness begin to overcome him again, such that he looked down and let his hair cover over his eyes. "There is no redemption for me, not after everything I have done. There is only my service to the Empire, and nothing you say will change that."

Lelouch's expression became outright pleading in response. Any anger that he had held before quickly evaporated as he tried desperately to reach toward his friend before the worst would occur.

"Don't do this..." he begged, his voice hoarse with anxiety. This was the first time Suzaku had ever seen Lelouch in such a state, as well as the first time Lelouch had ever found himself in; even when he was before the Emperor years ago protesting his lack of action over his mother's death, Lelouch had retained his full spirit and force of will, all the way up to the point he had declared his abandonment of his title and claim to the throne. "Don't make me your enemy again, not when we both want the same thing..."

His expression became outright fearful when he posed his next question. "...we're friends, aren't we?"

Suzaku did not reply to that, he only continued to look down and remain obscured from the vidscreen. At that, Lelouch called out to him once more in even greater desperation. _"Suzaku...!"_

"Enough!" Suzaku bellowed at long last, his eyes looking back up with all the fierceness they could muster while the _Lancelot_ drew both of its MVS and activated them. With a swing, the white knightmare angled its right hand blade straight toward its black and gold brethren. "As the Knight of Seven, I hereby declare you under arrest for creating open hostilities against the Empire! Surrender now, and I will spare your life!"

In that final declaration, Lelouch finally saw the ultimate truth with his own eyes: the Suzaku Kururugi that he had known, grown up with and seen as his first dear friend was gone. Whether he had died alongside his beloved Princess at the SAZ or had been another casualty of the Devastation, that Suzaku no longer existed in this plane. Instead, the man before him was nothing less than an imposter, a twisted analogue of his friend that adhered to degraded ideology and had long traded his soul to the system that he served, no longer holding any compassion for those who suffered around him. A true enemy to Lelouch through and through, one that chose on his own to stand in his way while dismissing what all they had left in the process.

As such, Lelouch could only grit his teeth in his own fury, feeling as though he had just been spat on in spite of his pleas for Suzaku's redemption. If the man before him would not join him, then Lelouch had no choice but to take him down here, where he stood. The course, as it were, was set.

"Go to hell..." he stated in response, before crossing the _Gawain_'s arms together and then bringing them down to its sides, automatically reactivating the Spatha Luminous blades in the process. "**...you traitorous fool!**" he roared as he put the _Gawain_ into a float system generated charge.

**"**_**Shine**_**, Zero!"** Suzaku roared in turn, calling out for his enemy's death in Japanese while putting the _Lancelot_ into a flying charge of its own.

And thus one of the most fated battles in After Throne Britannia, one eight years in the making, began with the thunderous clash of crimson and golden blades.

* * *

**Britannian air cruiser **_**Avalon**_**  
Pacific Ocean  
April 11, 2025 a.t.b.**

Colonel Talia Earhart, captain of the _Avalon_ and 18th Duchess of Maine, grimaced as more hyper-accelerated shells slammed against her cruiser's bow Blaze Luminous shield, which held to the impacts but could not keep the resulting shock from running throughout the rest of the ship. If she had not been sitting in her chair, chances were she would have lost her balance at this point and fallen on the deck, but thankfully she had captained the _Avalon_ long enough to know that it was unwise to remain standing during an air battle, especially when the other side was utilizing airships of their own. She was grateful for this foreknowledge, as well as the fact she had an actual chair to sit in; as uncomfortable as the throne-like captain's chair was, at least it was better than standing up while some bigwig General or royal took the seat for his or herself while barking inane orders at her and her crew. After all, there was only one other that she entrusted that chair to, but unfortunately he was not present at this time.

Her call for surrender obviously ignored, the commander of Britannia's most prized and arguably feared airship had to admit that the opposition was putting up a great fight, even after all the damage and exhaustion they had accumulated from sacking Crusoe. If anything the enemy force, which even now she was unable to identify beyond the silver winged sword crest on the bow of their sole warship, was coming at her fleet with more ferocity than the EU forces had held during the opening invasions of Europe, where the _Avalon_ had spearheaded the initial landings in Portugal and Britain. This was only apparent by what she was seeing on the bridge's main monitor now, with the sight of _Sutherlands_ and _Gloucesters_ engaging those mysterious black knightmares in mass dogfights being a common image, all the while that black battleship was moving forward to get a better firing angle on the _Avalon_ and her allies as well as support its own knightmare forces with its CIWS and missile emplacements. Naturally, the _Avalon_ and the triplet _Caerleons_ were returning fire, but their shots were also being repelled by a shield of some kind, evident by the red "ripples" that appeared around the battleship whenever a shell struck.

_Remember that this is the force that struck our capital and eluded our reprisal thereafter. Do not underestimate them Talia_. Schneizel's warning replayed in her memory as she continued to watch the battle unfold. She had taken his words to heart as she always did, though at the same time she had seen for herself what the battleship was capable of, and had also been present when it had evaded the Second Prince's trap and certain death just over two weeks before. And while she would have rather had His Highness be in charge of this battle, Schneizel had selected her to finish off this foe once and for all, and the _Avalon_ commander was not about to fail her liege's faith in her. She would destroy them, one way or another, for Prince Schneizel, Britannia and herself, in that order.

"Enemy battleship continuing advance, shields holding." 2nd Lieutenant Sean Preston, the _Avalon_'s sensor operator reported from his monitor's readings.

The bridge shook again as more shells struck the bow shields, and again Talia was thankful she had not been standing. "Maintain barrage! Order the other ships break formation and flank!"

"What about the _Mordred_?" Major Edward Trine, the _Avalon_'s executive officer, spoke up from his console. "Wouldn't its stark hadron cannons be effective against a warship such as that?"

"I'd rather Lady Alstreim concentrate on the enemy knightmares alongside Sir Weinburg." Talia replied with a sharpened cornered glance. _And I doubt they would heed my commands anyway, damned Rounds._ "What's the status of our missile tubes?"

"All loaded ma'am!" 1st Lieutenant Eric Rohmer, weapons operator, proclaimed with urgency.

"Then fire!" Talia ordered sternly. "Helm to starboard, twenty five degrees!" she followed up with, as she saw that the enemy battleship was holding to its original course and that it would end up ramming her ship at its current speed.

The deck rocked as the _Avalon_ tilted toward its right and then angled out so that it would pass the adversary battleship's left side. Even so however, the cruiser's guns remained on target and continued firing, while the collection of VLS on its dorsal side all opened and launched their payloads into the air. The missiles streaked into the sky and dove back against the enemy battleship, most of which were cut down by the warship's own CIWS while the rest impacted against its shield, adding their explosive power to the _Avalon_'s shells.

By now the destroyers had complied with her earlier orders and moved to encompass the battleship as well, with the _Plymouth_ and _Southampton_ on its starboard side while the _Haverhill_ joined the _Avalon_ on its port side, all of them continuing to fire on the battleship while the knightmares flitted and fought around them. Yet in spite of the great concentration of firepower, the black battleship's nigh-invisible shields remained, with only the constant emanation of red ripples signifying that the HV shots and missiles were not reaching the battleship's hull, all while the battleship fired back at all angles with its own weapons. It was true ship-to-ship battle in all sense of the description and meanings associated, only instead of seafaring vessels raining cannonballs on each other from their broadsides, the skirmish consisted of artificially lighter than air metallic craft shooting at one another with hypersonic projectiles and guided rocket propelled explosives, something that not even Jules Verne or H.G. Wells could have possibly imagined back in their days.

And as she kept watch of the battle and her unknown adversary, Talia was again reminded of the earlier battle over the Pacific, as the enemy battleship was literally taking barrages from all sides and not only holding against the onslaught, but showed no signs of weakening or slowing down. Her eyes narrowed into a glare at that; however strong those shields were, as well as the armor underneath them, every defense had its breaking point, and she _would_ find this behemoth's before sending it into the depths below.

There was one certain disadvantage that the enemy vessel possessed however: it was slower at maneuvering than the _Avalon_ and the _Caerleons_, evidenced from past battle records and Talia's own observations of it in the present. Somewhat expected of a battleship type, but then in an age of electromagnetically accelerated firepower the idea of "dodging" seemed more or less wishful thinking on the ship scale. However, it was still something for Talia to exploit in her strategy, and that was exactly what she was going to do by keeping the _Avalon_ and her allies maneuvering, spreading out the battleship's fire pattern and minimizing the damage done to their vessels. The question was whether they could keep it all up by the time those damned shields began to break down, as well as keep their own Blaze Luminous from doing the same. And at that, Talia could only hope, even as her ship continued to rumble from the opposing shots.

_Regardless, we still have Earl Asplund's newest superweapon in reserve. And that says nothing of Schneizel's reinforcements, who should be arriving soon enough._ she reassured herself as her gaze remained on the black battleship. "Angle the bow at seventeen degrees and take us above them!" she continued ordering. "Then bring all ventral cannons to bear! We'll see how their top shields hold out!"

* * *

Even as he had the _Tristan_ dive headlong into the melee in its fortress mode, Gino was unable to force back the upset feeling in his stomach, which had been present all the way back to when he had launched from the _Avalon_'s catapult deck. He supposed it was generated from his conscience, the idea that he was fighting on the side of the "evil empire" that was slowly conquering the world against the "righteous rebellion" that was more than likely fighting to free it. Even the knowledge that many loyal Britannian soldiers had been killed off in the Black Knights' attacks on Pendragon and now on Crusoe couldn't make Gino feel what he was doing was right, as even if those numbers were combined together they were nowhere near the numbers, and he meant that word in its literal meaning as opposed to the Britannian corruption of it, that had perished in the Devastation. No matter how much he thought about it, both in the past few days and now, Gino could not shake the feeling that he was on the wrong side of this war, and the more he fought against it the more powerful it became.

But all the same, he ended up resisting the feeling by sheer force of will alone, emphasized when he put the _Tristan_ into greater speed. It was almost physically painful and exhausting to him, much like Sisyphus pushing a great boulder up a hill, but he endured it as much as the strain of the current battle. Like it or not, Gino was still the Knight of Three, and he had made his choice long ago just as he had declared to Charmelle in the skies over the Imperial Capital. Therefore, just as he had inwardly resolved in himself back then, he would continue to fight his enemies, whether his enemy were Japanese or European, in the same fashion as the Emperor and many others had come to expect of him, and without compromising the just and chivalrous principles of the Rounds, he would show no restraint to any of them.

Lelouch, the one reason he was still fighting for Britannia to begin with, would have told him to do the same. In his regard, Gino wished he were there now, leading the charge as he had always done in North Africa and directing the Imperial armada against the Black Knights and whoever was commanding them. But until the Eleventh Prince had recovered from whatever injuries he had received at that time, the Knight of Three would settle for the idea of fighting in his name.

As he maneuvered through the virtual swarm of metal and death, Gino finally settled on his first set of targets: a set of black, mono-eyed knightmares that were making mincemeat out of a nearby squad of _Sutherlands_. He sneered as his computer labeled them as "UNKNOWN" in bright letters; if there was one thing he found especially frustrating with fighting the Black Knights, it was the fact that he didn't know what their knightmares were called. Oh sure, he pretty much had a feel for their capabilities now, but he hated fighting an enemy he couldn't identify, as it somehow felt as though his adversaries had an advantage over him for it. But then, if the knightmares they used in Japan were any indication, these new models were likely all named some cliché and gaudy Japanese phrase anyway, like _Yamato_, _Masamune_, _Akira_, _Kobayashi Maru_ or anything else along that line. Not that it really made any difference though, as they were just targets to wipe away in the end.

"Well, guess you're as good a start as any." Gino said in a sigh he recalibrated the _Tristan_'s flight path toward those enemy knightmares. Then, once more against the pains of his innards, he then allowed his usual smirk to form on his face, symbolizing his anticipation of the challenge. "Let's see how you like _real_ opponents!"

Targeting the nearest enemy knightmare as he entered range, Gino let rip with his nose mounted machine cannons. With twin tremors rocking around the _Tristan_, the cannons spewed round after round at the black knightmare, which only too late had noticed the fighter-like knightmare's approach and tried to evade the onslaught, only to be cut down across its torso. It soon fell out of the sky and exploded not long after as its superconductor drive detonated, just as the _Tristan_ shot past, neatly evading the fire from its nearby comrades.

Following this, Gino, in a swift motion that would have impressed even his fellow Knights of the Round, made the _Tristan_ flip its nose downward and simultaneously rotated the frame so that it was "facing" back to its adversaries, before transforming it into its proper knightmare form at the last moment. From there, Gino charged at the momentarily stunned black knightmares and at the same time drew his twin poleaxes, joined them and activated them in little over a span of milliseconds. The enemy knightmare he had targeted was quick to draw its chainsword and deflect his initial attack, but Gino put more power into the _Tristan_'s thrusters and easily pushed his opponent back. Then with an upward swipe, he knocked the chainsword blade away and took the oppurtunity to make a deep stroke against the opposing knightmare's torso. A backflip later, the knightmare detonated as well.

Gino then moved to strike its remaining comrade, but at the last moment the Black Knight pilot managed to evade, and the poleaxe blade only managed to cut the left arm at the elbow, taking the handgun with it. "Not too bad, but you still lost your main gun!" Gino taunted in his usual playful fashion as he continued his attack.

As if responding to the taunt, the enemy knightmare quickly brought its chain sword down for the kill. Gino dodged right from the attack and attempted another slash at the impetuous knightmare, but again his enemy evaded his attack. At that, the Knight of Three reached out with his right arm, extended the slash harken and fired it, launching the rocket propelled wedge right into the head, which shattered on impact, and then continued to drive into the cockpit block. His work finished, Gino quickly withdrew his harken, transformed and sped off for new targets.

Before he could search new prey out however, his warning indicators beeped out, signaling enemies locking on him from above. Just as the bullets began to literally rain around him, Gino put the _Tristan_ into a series of evasive maneuvers, dodging each shot with ease, while looking up to see what was shooting at him. The origin of the bullets were four enemy knightmares, one of which looked to be one of the command models. At their approach, Gino flipped the _Tristan_ around and launched both slash harkens, quickly combining them into the electromagnetic rail cannon and firing off a concentrated stream of ultra-high voltage. Unfortunately however, all four enemy pilots were quick to realize the attack in progress and evade before the shot was fired.

"That was actually impressive!" Gino exclaimed with a whistle. "But how good are you in close combat?" He then pushed transformed the _Tristan _once more and continued to dance around the enemy knightmares' firepower in such a way that it was frustrating just to watch. All four rushed at him with their chainswords simultaneously, but he was able to deflect both attacks with deft motion while making counters of his own, though he himself only succeeded in cutting off a leg and a portion of the left shoulder pauldron on two of his adversaries initially. This soon changed when he feinted another slash with his poleaxes, only to move it to his right side and fire let loose his left arm mounted slash harken, which drove into one of the regular units right through the middle and causing the now ruined superconductor drive to detonate minutes later. Gino then took the opportunity to make a one handed twirl that cut into another of the regulars, leaving a diagonal gash through its own torso, before also exploding.

Seeing two of its comrades die in a matter of seconds, the third regular unleashed a barrage of bullets at the _Tristan_, but Gino was quick enough to climb before they could reach him. From there, he transformed back into fighter mode, arced downward in midair and fired his machine cannons down at the enemy knightmare, reducing it to pieces as well. Needless to say this did not play well with the commander type, which drew its sword up and charged madly at the Knight of the Round exclusive knightmare, its pilot obviously hellbent to take Gino down.

In turn, Gino transformed back into knightmare mode and charged back with his poleaxes in hand, both knightmares appearing akin to their jousting namesakes throughout the attacks. Upon the point of attack however, Gino slashed the enemy knightmare's sword arm away as he passed, before the chain weapon could have connected. In response, the enemy pilot switched over to his or her handgun, but Gino slashed that away as well, before arcing around in the sky and going into a high speed dash, effectively outpacing the enemy pilots aim before turning around again and moving to strike at the torso for the kill. This only resulted in the enemy pilot activating his or her energy shield and deflecting the poleaxe blade in a set of red ripples.

"Oh yeah, you command types all have those." Gino observed, feeling more amused than bothered at the display. This emphasized a second later, when Gino smacked the opposite blade of his pole weapon against the shield, effectively smacking the knightmare along with it and causing it to fly back, momentarily stunned. He then followed up on this by speeding past, turning around and, much like a batter to a baseball, smacking the enemy knightmare again and causing it to fly forward involuntarily. It only then that he proceeded to move against the left side, his poleaxe set to impale.

But once more fate intervened, as a newcomer unit, flying at a far faster velocity than its comrades, intercepted the _Tristan_ in its movements and deflected the blow away with a golden bladed knife.

"What the-!" Gino yelped in surprise as the new unit moved in for the attack while its comrade retreated. The Knight of Three was quick to note the details of the enemy unit: crimson armor, white faceplate with sapphire eye cameras and oversized clawed right arm with five digits. In that instant Gino's eyes widened in greater surprise as he flung the _Tristan_ back into the counterattack; he easily recognized his opponent.

_That's the knightmare that nearly captured Lelouch!_ Gino thought and almost spoke aloud. It was then that his memory brought up long dormant information regarding the unit, as he recalled reports from Japan about the Black Knights possessing an ace of high caliber. The Japanese had called her _Akaryu_, while the Britannians referred to her as the Ace of the Elevens, but her skills and deeds throughout the Japanese Insurrection only spoke for themselves, such that even Britannians in the homeland had come to know of her. It was even claimed that her skills could match that of a Round; the irony was not lost in Gino there.

This individual had been deemed KIA alongside the rest of her army and her people after the Devastation, but here she was now, very much alive and fighting alongside that same army, and here and now going all out against one of the Empire's foremost aces. Gino could only feel his gut clench at the realization. _It figures. Fate has a way of favoring pain-in-the-asses during catastrophic events._ he thought more as he deflected more attacks.

Then in a spur of the moment, he twisted his poleaxes around and ended up clashing the middle of the pole against the _Guren_'s, and it was the _Guren Nishiki_, knife, holding it in place while Gino established a communication link. "Well, this is an honor." he spoke in a velvety smooth tone. "I never would have believed I would end up fighting the great Kallen Kouzuki out here."

Even without a video link showing the enemy pilot's profile, Gino knew his opponent was taken aback by surprise. "You know who I am...?" she muttered in mild shock.

"Of course. All of Britannia knows of you." Gino retorted back, before knocking the knife aside and making a series of slashes, which drove the _Guren_ on the evasive. "How do you think their parents get their kids to behave? 'Do your homework and go to bed or the Red Dragoness will come and eat you!'"

"Don't mock me!" Kallen responded vehemently as she realigned her claw arm in an attempt to ensnare the _Tristan_, only for Gino to reverse his knightmare at the last moment and fire a slash harken. The harken drove forward only to impact against the _Guren_'s arm generated energy shield, sending ripples out in all directions.

"Temper temper." Gino muttered in mock disapproval. "I can see where the 'Dragoness' moniker came from. No wonder Lelouch and Suzaku had hard times with you."

Suddenly, the _Guren_ knocked away the harken and charged once more for the attack, firing an energy stream from its claw that Gino only barely evaded. "Congratulations Britannian, you have succeeded in _thoroughly_ pissing me off...!" Kallen muttered out in an outright _draconic_ tone as she oriented her left arm and fired a grenade, which the _Tristan_ flipped around. "You are now _officially_ a dead man!" she once more tried ensnare the _Tristan_, but Gino was again too quick, managing to bank each time that right arm claw reached out.

Gino raised an eyebrow at the sudden burst of anger as he continued to dodge, wondering just what it was he had just said to invoke such emotion from her. _Maybe she doesn't like her nickname?_ he thought with peculiarity, somewhat confused on the inside.

Beyond that, he couldn't quite put his finger on it either, but the Knight of the Round had the feeling that something else was on the enemy ace's mind, and that she saw his presence as more of an obstacle to contend with as opposed to a serious threat to her livelihood. A part of him was curious about that, but he knew better than to ask, as the _Guren_ pilot would simply snub him, and it was likely along the lines of her side wanting to retreat before the rest of the Imperial forces show up anyway. As such, he simply concentrated on the fight at hand, symbolized when he knocked the knife hand back in its latest attack and jetted backwards a few meters.

"Let's see you try, _Akaryu_." Gino retorted as he regained the initiative, grin ever present. "And who knows? Maybe you'll do what hundreds of Europeans and your fellow countrymen couldn't." he then transformed into fortress mode again and made a renewed charge toward the _Guren_. "But I doubt it!"

* * *

Annoyances. That was exactly how Anya Alstreim described the enemies that she faced, and the ones in front of her now were no different. Some feared or feared for their enemies, like Suzaku did, while others took a measure amusement in fighting them, like Gino did, and even more found twisted delight in slaughtering them like cattle, like Luciano Bradley did. But for Anya, the only emotion she found in combat was irritation, the same kind one would have when a fly was busying around his or her head, as well as the accompanying will to remove said irritation, i.e. swatting the fly. That had been the single answer to all those "How does it feel to go into battle?" e-mails she got on her blog, and Anya, for all of her writing skills, could not think of a better way to describe what it was like to pilot the _Mordred_ against the enemies of the Empire.

Such as it was now, as her customized knightmare flew through the air while a number of pursuing enemy knightmares rained bullets, bazooka shells and those strange rockets at her direction. Any other knightmare would have easily been overwhelmed by such an assault, but the _Mordred_ had been designed specifically to survive whatever the opposition could throw at it, and as such its full body Blaze Luminous shielding held up to the all-directional barrage. The shield did not prevent her knightmare from rumbling with each blow however, but at the same time the constant "bangs" and vibrations did little to bother Anya. In turn, she fired back with her homing beam launchers, sending a swarm of black and red outlined beams streaking toward her opposition. Some of the enemy knightmares were fortunate enough to evade before the blow could be made, but the rest were easily dismantled one way or another. Anya only continued on from there, with a lesser number of annoyances to contend with among the myriad of lights and fire.

From there, Anya continued to fire collective bursts from her beam launchers at any enemy units that were in range, playing upon the _Mordred_'s intended assault role to the extreme. Once again some enemy units were fortunate to evade her attacks in time, while others wiped away, leaving only raining shards and fire with their remains. As she continued her attacks, her warning indicator soon lit up, warning her that more enemy units were charging at her. Anya turned a stoic eye toward the incoming units, two of which were coming at her with their chainsword drawn while the others remained behind to attack with their long-range weapons.

At that point she supposed she was expected to dodge or throw up her shield again, but she decided not to do either for this one. As such, the enemy knightmares soon reared up in front of her and made well placed slashes against the _Mordred_'s frame, while they let loose their handguns. But in spite of their efforts, the _Mordred_'s armor held to the vicious attacks; not even the chainswords were able to leave so much as a marking on the dark violet and white colored chassis, much to Anya's expectations and more than likely the astonishment of the enemy pilots. Anya allowed this to continue for a few moments longer, until she figured the enemy were refusing to admit the futility of trying to inflict damage on her steed, to which she once more fired a barrage of homing beams that cut all except one out of the sky, which had managed to "only" lose its left arm as opposed to the whole frame.

That same unit, apparently not having learned its lesson, made a renewed charge at the _Mordred_, intending on impaling it with its sword. Anya sighed, that was the _second_ time somebody got desperate enough to try that tactic, the previous one being that German pilot in Tripoli. And also just like that time, all the enemy pilot managed to accomplish was to shatter his or her chainsword against the _Mordred_'s chest, the metal blades flying away in a series of sparks and leaving only a shaft behind. At that, Anya reached out and grabbed the enemy knightmare by the head before it could retreat.

"Tag, you're dead." Anya said simply, her quartz colored eyes looking down at the minutely struggling knightmare in her grasp. This time, the pilot seemed to have got the message, as the cockpit of the enemy knightmare ejected soon enough, and Anya in turn let go of the hulk and allowed it to fall to the sea below.

A sudden flash light caused Anya's attention to move to her left, which in turn caused her eyes to widen in the smallest fraction. One of the _Caerleons_, the _Haverhill_, had apparently just lost its starboard Blaze Luminous shielding and was now trailing fire and smoke from that section. Seeing the proverbial blood in the water, the black battleship only stepped up its assault on it, concentrating the fire from its HV cannons and missiles onto the _Haverhill_ and ignoring the rest of the enemy ships altogether. Not even the _Avalon_, which had moved in at near point blank to try and draw the battleship's firepower away, could keep the assault off the wounded destroyer, and soon enough more fire and smoke emerged from the _Haverhill_'s increasingly battered hull. Anya knew it was only a matter of time before the ship was destroyed altogether; the _Caerleon_-class was not designed to take that kind of continuous punishment, and that enemy battleship had nearly as much firepower as a _Logres_ going for it.

As such, Anya flexed her fingers and activated her stark hadron cannon, which flipped out in front of the _Mordred_ while the dual targeting scopes folded out for Anya's usage. She didn't know exactly how powerful the battleship's shields were, but there were few things in existence that could take a shot from the _Mordred_'s most powerful weapon, and at the very least it would make the battleship think twice before continuing its attack. Soon enough, her targeting reticule turned red, signaling she had lock. "Firing." she said simply once more, just as her finger began to pull back on the trigger

And then, before Anya could even realize it was happening, her entire world went white for the briefest of moments. With a thunderous roar, the stark hadron cannon exploded in front of her, rocking the _Mordred_ in its entirety and causing Anya to recoil against the back of her chair, letting out a soft cry of surprise as her head bounced off of the cushion and the magnetic restraints kept the rest of her body in place. Only instinct caused her to throw up her Blaze Luminous, keeping the follow up shots from striking her frame and causing additional damage, the heavy armor apparently useless in holding that kind of fire at bay. When she checked her sensor display, she found only nothing on her scope beyond the enemy units she was already aware of, but when she turned her head camera toward what she guessed was the vector of the enemy fire, she immediately beheld her attacker.

Almost in angelic fashion, twelve enemy knightmares descended from higher altitudes and began raining down fire from their handguns onto various targets. Anya was quick to notice that they were quite different from the "normal" models, specifically in that they traded the four winged float system design with two sets of binders that stretched from the upper torso and the hips toward the back, and that their armor was even more streamlined and aerodynamic. But the biggest differences were that they had been invisible to her sensors up to this point through what could only be a form of stealth technology, while those rifles obviously fired at HV level acceleration, giving them the power to pierce even the _Mordred_'s armor, as evidenced by the ruined binders on her knightmares shoulders. As such, for the first time in what felt like ages, Anya actually began to worry, especially as she saw the twelve pick apart one _Sutherland_ and _Gloucester_ after another in rapid succession while she flew back, holding against the fire with her shield.

When she found the opportunity she locked onto to the unit that was attacking her and launched another swarm of homing beams at it, but the enemy pilot quickly banked passed her attack and returned its own fire, forcing her to raise her shield again to deflect the attacks. "Well well, the Juggernaut of Britannia I presume." said an obviously feminine voice that seemed to border between stoic and playful, as the enemy knightmare's mono-eye stared squarely at the _Mordred_. "Sorry, but I can't have you shooting down our mothership so easily. But you can try your hand against me."

Anya felt something inside her freeze at that voice; for some reason, it sounded familiar to her. However, she had no time to contemplate how that was possible, as the enemy knightmare swooped in and fired more shots, forcing her to raise her shield again. After that, Anya fire back with her homing beams, effectively turning the battle into an aerial gunfight.

The Knight of Six only felt her gut clench throughout. Yet _another_ annoyance to contend with, and the worst part was she forgot to set her cameras to record.

* * *

**Pearl Harbor Naval Base  
County of Crusoe, Area 7 (Sandwich Islands), Holy Britannian Empire  
April 11, 2025 a.t.b.**

With as much ferocity as either pilot could muster against the other, the _Gawain_ and the _Lancelot_ spiraled elegantly into the air, their respective blades slashing at one another throughout. After both knightmares reached a certain altitude, the _Lancelot_ abandoned its climb and shot at the _Gawain_ in an attempt to make a running slash, only for the _Gawain_ to knock its sword away as it passed, turn around and launch its left hand slash harkens at the white knightmare's back. Before they could impact however, the _Lancelot_ shifted around and knocked the harkens aside with its right arm mounted Blaze Luminous, but by that point the _Gawain_ was over it again, baring down with its arm blades and forcing the _Lancelot_ to maintain its defensive. Only the two follow up MVS slashes and the firing of the _Lancelot_'s hip slash harkens made the larger black and gold knightmare break off from its assault, but the fight only continued from there with several more clashes between their blades.

Already feeling greater amounts of sweat run down his face, Lelouch gritted his teeth as the _Lancelot_ knocked his blade away, only to seethe one of its own swords and draw its VARIS rifle before firing three shots at the _Gawain_ in quick succession. Lelouch dodged the first two and then used his left "Spatha" to deflect the third, but that didn't slow the _Lancelot_ down, as it took the opportunity to cross the threshold again and come close to slicing into the _Gawain_'s large torso, only for Lelouch to deflect that attack with a well placed parry. "You should never have returned to that damned mask, Lelouch!" Suzaku cried out with clear fury, putting more energy into the _Lancelot_'s float system to drive his sword forward. He then followed this up by performing several more slashes, and in spite of the fact he was only wielding a single blade now, the Knight of Seven still managed to force back his opponent further. "You should have remained what you were meant to be!"

The former prince growled in response. "You mean another one of my father's pawns!?" he shot back, just as he forced the _Lancelot_'s sword away and made his own attacks, causing the _Lancelot_ to bank two and fro to avoid getting cut. The _Gawain_ charged in response, catching Suzaku off guard and driving its right shoulder into the _Lancelot_, sending the white knightmare flying back several meters. "You mean another one of Britannia's slaves, just like you!?"

"How can you be so blinded!" Suzaku returned fire both in voice and with his VARIS, once more forcing the Gawain to abandon any follow up attacks. Rather than close the distance and attack with his MVS again, Suzaku flipped down his hadron launcher and latched it onto the still extended VARIS, then taking aim and firing a stream of crimson at the _Gawain_, which yet again was forced into evasion, first by barrel rolling away from the beam and then cutting into a midair dash. "You did far more to save the world as the Eleventh Prince than you ever did as Zero! Why can't you understand that Lelouch!?"

"All I did under that title was expand the Empire's tyranny and cause unnecessary pain and suffering! How the hell is _that_ saving the world Suzaku!?" Lelouch retorted with as much furor all the while putting the _Gawain_ into a climb and simultaneously reactivating his own hadron cannons. When he reached a point in the air where he was effectively well above the _Lancelot_, he let loose both cannons and sent his own blood red streams back at his opponent, turning the fight back onto his former friend quite effectively. Knowing that he would be in a better position further down than in the open air, Lelouch quickly maneuvered the _Gawain_ into a position around the _Lancelot_, all the while evading his enemy's hadron launcher shot, before cutting power to the hadron cannons and diving away, putting more power into the float system to increase its speed all the while heading straight toward the ruined base below. Suzaku, feeling his fury rise at the sight of the _Gawain_'s apparent retreat, quickly followed, putting his knightmare into a similar dive and taking the opportunity to switch from his VARIS to his MVS again.

Without touching the ground again, the _Gawain_ flew amidst the flames and smoke, maneuvering around the damaged towers with practiced grace. A moment later, _Lancelot_ swept in from behind with maser vibration swords drawn for the kill, both of which were systematically blocked and repelled with precision by the _Gawain_'s energy blades. From there, Suzaku ascended over the _Gawain_ and brought its right sword down for a vertical cut, only for Lelouch to duck aside and fire his hadron cannons in their scatter modes. In response, the _Lancelot_ activated its main body Blaze Luminous shield, forming it into its wedge setting, and drove through the energy rain while ignoring whatever minor damages two or three stray shots might have caused. This forced the _Gawain_ to bank to the left in order to avoid getting rammed, thus allowing the _Lancelot_ to pass by, drop its shield and then twist around to dash at the _Gawain_'s side and score a cut into the black and gold knightmare's hip as it attempted to evade, slashing away the pronged armor plating there. Appearing to grimace from the wound, the _Gawain_ brought its blades up again and smashed them against the _Lancelot_'s, both sets meeting the other over and over, all the while both knightmares flew around the burning ruins of the former Imperial basin.

And all throughout, Lelouch could feel the strain begin to overtake his body as he forced himself into the fight. The battle had just begun and he had already expended much energy just to keep up with Suzaku, and while the latter was obviously not holding back, he couldn't have been as strained since he wasn't even fighting under the "Live" command's influence. This was especially made evident when the _Lancelot_ intersected with the _Gawain_ again and launched a vicious assault with both its MVS and its Blaze Luminous reinforced legs for true Suzaku form kick attacks, all of which were executed so fast that it was all Lelouch could do to block or evade each and every one rather than fight back.

_Is there really that much of a rift between us...!?_ he thought bitterly as he fought to hold the line. _Even after all this time!? After everything I learned under Bismarck and experienced through battles before this one!?_ At that he quickly realized a key fact: while he had long advanced from the weakling prince all these years, Suzaku would have only advanced from the level he held in Japan since becoming the Knight of Seven as well.

But even so, if there was definite advantage he held over Suzaku in this fight, it was full knowledge of his fighting style, something that he had possessed all the way back to the Japanese Insurrection and wielded to great effect on occasion, namely during Tohdoh's prison break. Though Lelouch couldn't beat Suzaku in performance, he could at least predict his movements and attacks, thus allowing him some leeway in the fight, which as shown now was going a long way for him. Subsequently, this was also the "big difference" between this fight and the one he held with Kallen over the Atlantic: during the latter, he had held no idea what he had been fighting, but in this battle he knew both pilot and knightmare almost to an instinctive level.

And then suddenly, interrupting his mid-battle plotting, the _Lancelot_ slammed both of its swords against the _Gawain_'s "Spathas" and held them there, while Suzaku put more power into his thrusters and began driving against the larger frame. "That title could have been your stepping stone..." Suzaku began to speak once again as he attempted to force his opponent into submission. "You could have used it and your service in Africa to take the throne, and then used that throne to make the changes from within that I never could! Gino, Anya and I would have supported you all the way, even if it meant standing against the current Emperor himself!"

Suzaku's eyes soon lit up with additional fury. "And you threw it all way!" As if reacting to its pilot rage on its own, the _Lancelot_ released its blades from the _Gawain_'s and began to once more pound the golden "Spathas" with continuous sword strokes of its own, one after another. All the while Suzaku sounded on with each stroke. "You threw away your one chance to save this world, and for what! So that you could destroy everything, like you did in Japan!"

"Better the destroyer of a decrepit world than its 'lord and savior'!" Lelouch shot back in anger, returning some strokes of his own against the _Lancelot_'s swords. "Even if I became what you wished me to, nothing would have changed!" After the final stroke, the _Gawain_ shot backward and fired its left arm mounted slash harkens. Suzaku attempted to dodge them, but one managed to get through, taking a great chunk out of the right side of the _Lancelot_'s head and causing its pilot to glower at the damage. "I would have only been another Charles zi Britannia or another Ricardo von Britannia; one more in a line of tyrants to rule an evil dominion!"

He again locked blades with the _Lancelot_. "The world would not have changed! The tyrants would still rule and the people would still suffer! That is why I have returned to the mask...! That is why I reaccepted Geass...!" he then surprised Suzaku by breaking apart their blades and kicking the _Lancelot_ with the _Gawain_'s massive foot, before bringing his blades down again only to be intercepted by the _Lancelot_'s right arm Blaze Luminous shield. _"To drive Britannia and this twisted world into the fires of Hell itself, so that Eden can be reborn from their ashes!"_

In response, Suzaku roared and forced the _Gawain_'s blades away, before dashing at his opponent with great vigor. Lelouch in turn did the same, turning the battle once more into an airborne jousting match around the ruins of Pearl. "Not if I have anything to say about it Lelouch!" Suzaku howled, almost in a scream, as he made each attack. "Before you create another Black Rebellion...!" he continued as he made another slash. "Before you create another Devastation...!" and another. "Before you damn us all...!" and yet another, before he shouted with all his might. _"I'LL KILL YOU!"_

Lelouch felt himself recoil from the force behind the declaration, his mind flashing back to the Black Rebellion and the memory of Suzaku then, consumed by his rage and seeking only vengeance, destroying everything in his path just to reach Zero. His voice sounded exactly the same as it did then, and it shook Lelouch to his core that Suzaku had held onto that very rage for eight years, even when he had pretended to be his friend and comrade throughout.

At that, Lelouch felt his own wrath grow in turn. _"Not if I kill _you_ first, bastard!"_ he declared in turn, as their blades met once more.

* * *

**Black Knights air battleship **_**Ikaruga**_**  
Pacific Ocean  
April 11, 2025 a.t.b.**

**"Finish her!"**

No later than when Minami's order rang out across the bridge did the _Ikaruga_'s fire intensify over the _Haverhill_, bombarding the wounded _Caerleon_-class destroyer with a storm of hypersonic shells and missiles, its Blaze Luminous shielding long collapsed and weapon systems out of commission. Almost in a synchronized fashion, explosions rippled across the destroyer's hull as key sections were struck, causing the destroyer to list to starboard and its float system to flicker in and out as the ship lost more and more of its power distribution. And as it dropped further in altitude, the _Ikaruga_ began moving to pass over her, with the battleship's bow guns continuing to fire shot after shot into the smoldering dark grey hull while the other ships and knightmares were kept at bay with a combination of the radiant wave shielding and alternate weapons.

And then all at once, one of the _Ikaruga_'s shots found its way into the _Haverhill_'s superconductor drive, causing it to go critical and destabilize, cumulating into a great explosion that tore through the ship with enough destructive force to ensure nothing survived its reach. The ship instantly disappeared in the singular, collective flash, forcing those on the _Ikaruga_'s bridge that watched her destruction to shield their eyes while the battleship rocked from the shockwave and the flying remnants, which impacted harmlessly against the radiant wave shields. A moment later, the flash was gone, and only open sky and falling metal remained where the proud Britannian airship had once been.

_One down, three to go._ Minami thought as he looked out over the destroyer remnants, all the while holding back a smirk as his crew cheered around him at their latest kill, the first airship that they had obliterated directly. Despite all the odds, the battle was actually moving toward the Black Knights' favor at this time. The enemy had already lost a good portion of their knightmares to both the Black Knight units and the _Ikaruga_'s, while the two Knights of the Round units that had accompanied them were being held up by Kallen and C.C. apiece, and the other two destroyers had taken significant damages over the course of the fight as evidenced by the scorched portions of their hulls and their Blaze Luminous shields being beaten down. Destroying them would not be too hard an objective to accomplish.

But then, they were not the real challenge of this battle.

"_Avalon_ to port, bearing three-one-zero and closing!" Ichijuku called out in warning.

Minami grimaced, knowing what was about to come next. "Evade!" he commanded, which was quickly carried out as Shima arced the ship to starboard. Unfortunately, it was not quick enough, and moments later the _Avalon_'s HV shots slammed into the _Ikaruga_'s port shields and caused the entire ship to rock, though the Britannian cruiser's follow up missile fire was easily shot down by the battleship's CIWS, evidenced by the resulting chain of explosions.

Soon enough _Ikaruga_'s port side HV cannons quickly responded with their own fire, forcing the _Avalon_ to veer away, moving so that it would pass just in front of the _Ikaruga_'s bow to avoid a collision. As the enemy cruiser's form pass in front of the _Ikaruga_'s bridge, Minami felt himself sneer at the sight of it. That very same ship had been at Shikinejima, Kyushu and the Black Rebellion, as well as the flagship of Schneizel's hunter force over the Pacific. Too many times had that cruiser appeared and oversaw the near defeat of the Black Knights; too many times it had that Black Knights only managed to narrowly escape from it as opposed to destroying it outright. And even without Schneizel onboard, which he and everyone else on the bridge surmised at the onset of the battle, the _Avalon_'s captain was nearly as dangerous a combatant and commander, evidenced by the fact his or her vessel had not taken nearly as much damage as the _Caerleons_ had up to this point; this in turn was due to the _Avalon_ constantly maneuvering around the _Ikaruga_ and evading the brunt of her firepower were perfectly timed evasions. In fact, aside from her shields being beaten down, the _Avalon_ had yet to be seriously damaged at all.

_Shields..._ Minami thought, realizing something. In a split second he looked away from the passing _Avalon_ and up at the center bridge display, quickly noting from the Druid System scans that the _Avalon_'s starboard shields had been reduced down to fifty six percent strength at this time. Immediately a new plan formulated in the battleship captain's mind; it was a gamble, and would quite obviously reveal one of the Black Knights' bigger trump cards, but as it had a more than fair chance of taking the Britannian cruiser out in one shot it was too good to pass up.

"Shima, hard to port! Circle and angle the bow toward the _Avalon_'s starboard." Minami commanded, not breaking in stride as he looked from the helm to the weapons station. "Ayame, begin charging the hadron cannons! Set for full burst!"

"I need authorization from either Zero or General Ohgi to activate them!" Futuba responded hurriedly.

Ohgi was quick to respond to that, as he punched up the authorization system. "General Kaname Ohgi, Authorization Delta-Niner-Seven-One! Allow access to Hadron Cannon systems on my command!" he spoke out, the _Ikaruga_'s computer immediately confirming his voice and access code. Soon after the locks on the hadron cannons were disabled and Futuba was allowed to proceed in charging them.

* * *

"Still with me Chiba!" Tohdoh called out as his _Zangetsu_ spiraled through the air, slashing its way through a group of _Sutherlands_. A small distance away from him, Chiba's _Jikisanshiyo_ was also using its katen yaibatou to great effect, doing its best to keep up with the custom knightmare frame. However the loss of its lower right air glide wing, blown off by a stray missile, was severely hampering its maneuverability.

"_Hai_ Shogun One!" Chiba called back offhandedly, as she was momentarily focused on slamming her handgun into the factsphere of her latest victim, shattering it in one blow before letting loose a stream of bullets that ripped through the head and the cockpit behind it. After that, she grabbed hold of the now lifeless knightmare and threw it across the air into one of its comrades, the impact snapping off one of the wings of the opposite unit's float system and causing both to plummet to the dark ocean below them all. Her sensors then beeped as another _Sutherland_ came flying in with its tonfas extended and prepared to smash in her cockpit pod, but Tohdoh moved faster, sending the _Zangetsu_ in to shoulder slam the enemy unit before driving the seidotou through its side, before backflipping away to avoid the resulting explosion.

As he took a moment to watch Chiba disembowel another _Sutherland_, Tohdoh couldn't help but feel a little envious at his subordinate's focus and dedication to the battle at hand; even with her _Akatsuki_ damaged as it was from both the siege on Pearl and the current skirmish, she still kept to the fight. Granted, part of that focus came from the fact _he_ was there beside her, and there was no worse fate for Chiba than looking bad in front of "her" General, but Tohdoh chose to ignore that. After all, by the number of destroyed knightmares she had been racking up in the last few minutes, some good was coming out of it.

_At the very least my being here deprives her of distractions_. he thought with a frown as he fired his seidotou mounted harken into a _Gloucester_, ripping into its frame and rendering it inoperable, thus forcing the pilot to eject. And that was where his envy originated from: while Nagisa Chiba could fight this battle without distractions, Kyoshiro Tohdoh could not. Not when he knew of the _other_ battle that was occurring over the ruins of Pearl, and a certain White Knight's participation in it.

For a man so dedicated to the objective, Tohdoh had to admit it was taking nearly all of his willpower not to break off from the current battle and head back to Pearl to confront his wayward student once more. Of the entire timespan that the Black Knights had been active following their five year isolation, Tohdoh had only fought Suzaku once, during that failed mission over the Atlantic, and had only done so to allow Kallen time to incapacitate then Prince Lelouch and capture him. Since then, Suzaku had not participated during the Battle of Pendragon nor Schneizel's ambush, and so Tohdoh did not gain any more opportunities to confront him. And yet there he was, a flight's distance away, fighting Zero in a grand melee.

He tried hard not to think about it, all but throwing himself at the Britannians in front of him in an effort to do so. Tohdoh may not have been satisfied with it, but even he had to concede Lelouch had more claim to this battle than he did; for all that Suzaku had done to his former friend, Lelouch deserved to be the one to settle the score this time around. That and between Lelouch and Tohdoh, the "Traitor Kururugi" would be more susceptible to his former friend's words than his former master's at this time, as Tohdoh knew all too well that their friendship had been one of the few things that had survived the Devastation, and though he had not been there to witness it personally, one of the few truths about Lelouch's artificial existence as the Eleventh Prince. But even so, that wasn't the part that bothered the Black Knight General the most.

_I do not think Kururugi wants to be saved._

Senba's words continually rung throughout Tohdoh's head like a bell, even as he continued to slay every _Sutherland_ and _Gloucester_ that he came over. He forced himself further into the fray to ignore all of those thoughts, symbolized fully when he dove behind a _Sutherland_ a performed a rocket assisted diagonal cut, cutting the cockpit pod and by proxy float system into halves which caused the now brainless knightmare to drop like the pair Chiba had dispatched. After that, a pair of blue _Gloucesters_ attempted to hem him in, but unfortunately for them the _Zangetsu_ was far more maneuverable. He deftly evaded the feeble trap, before twisting around and letting rip with his newly unveiled machine cannons. The proximity to both enemy knightmares was enough for the smaller caliber bullets to tear through their chassis, ripping off the head and arm of one _Gloucester_ and taking a leg off the other. In response, the headless _Gloucester_ fired off its two slash harkens in a final attempt to kill its aggressor, but Tohdoh easily batted them away with one swipe of his seidotou, before closing the distance and slash that unit down the middle.

The remaining _Gloucester _attempt to raise its machine gun and strike the _Zangetsu_ in the back with a grenade, but by that time Tohdoh had swung the _Zangetsu_ around and activated its radiant wave shield, deflecting the explosive with ease. Just as the grenade went off, Tohdoh fired his slash harken and latched it onto the _Gloucester_, before retracting it and dragging the entire frame toward him. He then neatly dispatched the unit with a clean slash across its torso, just as he did with the first _Gloucester_.

_I do not think Kururugi wants to be saved._

Again Tohdoh forced those words back as he turned his attention a trio of _Sutherlands_ that had emerged from the conflagration around him and made their approach toward him and Chiba. With a roar the Black Knight General took off toward them, activating the rockets in the seidotou for greater velocity. Once close in he easily dispatched the first _Sutherland_ with a running slash, its attempt to defend itself with its stun tonfas proven utterly futile, while the remaining two open fired with their machine guns.

Tohdoh spiraled around and made another running slash, cutting off the _Sutherland_ at the waistline and proceeding toward its wingman. Its pilot apparently not as stupid as one would have expected, the last _Sutherland_ put its float system in reverse and attempted to back away from the charging _Zangetsu_, all the while raining bullets at it. In turn, Tohdoh activated his own radiant wave shield and deflected them all effortlessly, his seidotou set to kill.

_I do not think Kururugi wants to be saved._

As she was about to move for another target of her own, Chiba just caught sight of the _second_ _Sutherland_, which in spite of the loss of its lower waist was still active, attempt to level its machine gun, ready to strike the _Zangetsu_ in the back. And unlike the _Gloucester_, Tohdoh had not noticed it, as he was too busy taking out its partner.

_"General!"_ Chiba almost screamed out as she put her _Akatsuki _into high gear. In nearly an instant she threw her knightmare in front of the _Sutherland_ and attempted to activate her radiant wave shield, but she was too late. Near point blank, the _Sutherland_'s machine gun fire riddled across the _Akatsuki_'s black form, taking off its head, left arm and left leg all in a matter of seconds. But even as sparks flew around the cockpit and main monitor began to fizzle, having temporarily blacked out from the loss of its main camera, Chiba pushed her unit forward, weathering each bullet shot as evasion would only mean their striking the _Zangetsu_, before impaling the _Sutherland_ with her katen yaibatou.

"Chiba!" Tohdoh called out from behind as he attempted to move in to support, having long finished off his own _Sutherland_ prey. Unfortunately he only managed to bridge the distance after the last _Sutherland_ had been dispatched, but much to Tohdoh's relief the _Jikisanshiyo_ withdrew its chainsword and moved away as the Britannian knightmare detonated. He quickly came up to it and reached out onto its shoulder, initiating skin to skin transmission. "Are you alright!" he barked with more concern than he had intended.

"Yeah..." Chiba spoke with some pause as she gazed over her instruments. "...none of the bullets hit my cockpit. I can still fight."

"Negative Kyofu One." Tohdoh responded, his voice adopting a cold tone in order to disguise the fact he was worried about her. "Your unit is too damaged. Return to the _Ikaruga_."

Chiba felt her hand tighten around her control stick. "I cannot comply Shogun One."

"You will comply Chiba!" Tohdoh responded with greater intensity. "You're no use out here in a broken knightmare!"

_"I can still fight!"_ Chiba repeated with desperation, her voice wavering in the face of Tohdoh's displeasure. _"And as long as I can, I will not abandon you!"_

At that, Tohdoh would have responded to that with even greater force, fully intent on getting her out of the fight before she got herself killed. While he didn't return her feelings, or so he believed, she was still his subordinate and one of the few that had survived for so long beside him; he had already lost too many friends and loved ones in his life, and so he could not and would not allow her to die a stupid and wasteful death. Especially not one out of sacrifice for his own stupidity, as had just nearly occurred.

Unfortunately, _Kami_ once again had other plans as Tohdoh's sensors detected another _Sutherland_, one armed with a shotgun, coming into range and moving to finish Chiba's wounded _Akatsuki_ with a single burst. Without thinking he returned the favor she had bestowed him, throwing her _Akatsuki_ out of the way and deflecting the first bullet with his radiant wave shield, before firing the seidotou mounted slash harken and knocking the _Sutherland_ out of the air.

After this, more contacts were detected incoming, and before Tohdoh could tell her otherwise, Chiba put her _Akatsuki_ into an attack vector and brandished her katen yaibatou once again, intent on killing more Britannians. Tohdoh moved in to support her, but he could only barely his displeasure toward her at bay, inwardly cursing at Chiba's stubbornness and utter devotion to him as he slew more enemies.

So focused was he on the battle and making sure to keep his wingman alive, Tohdoh did not realize that Senba's voice was finally silenced from his mind. In fact, it would only be _after_ the battle ended that his inner turmoil toward his wayward pupil would reemerge...

* * *

With a fierce bellow, Tayuya Saidoharu drove her fork knife through the side of her most recent victim's cockpit pod, then ripping away the blade a moment later and then flying back while firing a single grenade to finish off the newly pilotless _Sutherland_. It exploded not long after, marking yet another kill to her tally, whatever the hell that was; she stopped counting at "hundredzillionth" sometime ago.

"You goth brats still out there!" Tayuya called out to her wingmen as she hurtled towards other targets. Not far from her position, two other _Isshikis_ were making their way through the Britannian forces with great effect.

"Fuck you _ama_!" Sakon growled as he and his brother's _Gurens_ both fired off rapid bursts from their surgerrs, raining them down on another group of _Sutherlands_. Two of the _Sutherlands_ were easily obliterated, but the last managed to evade, losing only its left arm for its effort. At that, the Kobayashi twins each dove at the last _Sutherland_, with Sakon striking first, slashing it across the center with his knife, and then Ukon moving in and "kicking" it away before it finally exploded.

"We've been doing this back when you were still playing with barbie dolls!" Ukon replied as he took down yet another _Sutherland_ with a surger beam, then proceeded to down its wingman with his slash harken. "So shut up Tayuya!"

"That's _Saidoharu-chui_ to you!" Tayuya shot back, both vocally and with her own surger as she proceeded to slaughter several more of the enemy knightmares in true Zero Squadron fashion. A bazooka holstering _Gloucester_ took a shot at her, but Tayuya was more than able to evade the shot, before she herself flew up to the dark Britannian commander addition knightmare, slashed the barrel off the weapon with her knife, then fired a grenade into the open hole. The explosive immediately struck the loaded rocket within and detonated it along with the others, the result explosion enveloping the _Gloucester_ while Tayuya simply raised her radiant wave shield to deflect the shards.

As she flew back however, she saw another _Akatsuki_, one of the regular models, attack a _Sutherland_ with its chainsword, while the said Britannian knightmare defended itself with its stun tonfas. Immediately Tayuya's well above average battle perception kicked in and, realizing what was about to happen, she attempted to broadcast a hurried warning toward the fellow Black Knight. Unfortunately, she was a little too late, as a pair of lance bearing units, another _Gloucester_ and _Sutherland_ apiece, jetted in on either side and impaled the vulnerable _Akatsuki_ on their weapons.

_"KISAMA!"_ Tayuya roared as shepushed her _Isshiki_ to its maximum speed, the Goth Twins' units doing the same from behind her. While she didn't appear the type to be concerned with her comrades, the Zero Squadron pilot did not enjoy losing any, especially to the Britannians; after all, for each who fell in this battle marked another survivor of the Devastation to die at the hands of the thrice damned Imperials. As such, dove at the _Sutherlands_ and fired more rapid shots from her surger, but only the one not armed with a lance was taken out by her initial burst. In turn one of the lancer units attempted to charge her as well, but she deflected its blow with her fork knife, while Sakon moved in and slashed it across the waist with his own blade. Ukon dispatched the last unit just as quickly, firing a surger beam into its side.

_Trash._ Tayuya thought with a deep sneer as she watched the last _Sutherland _of the group bubble and explode. Then before she realized what happened, Tayuya felt her whole knightmare shake violently as another explosion sounded to her left. Looking at her displays, she found that the whole left arm had been blown away by another _Sutherland_'s rifle launched grenade, taking the grenade launcher and knife with it. Tayuya snarled and returned fire with her surger, but the enemy _Sutherland_ was able to move away and avoid them. And much worse, as Tayuya saw on her monitor, several of its friends were showing up to support it.

"Goddammit they're crawling out of the fucking woodwork!" Sakon stated as he and Ukon moved in to attack the newcomers.

"Even so, they _still_ squash as easily as the rest...!" Tayuya responded in turn, locking onto the first newly arrived _Sutherland_ she came over and then firing off her slash harken in the blink of an eye. Just as quickly the harken decapitated the _Sutherland_, therefore allowing Tayuya to get close and finish it off with her surger. She then switched her main weapon back to its rapid fire mode and sprayed the other knightmares, softening them up and allowing the brothers to dive and dispatch them easily. Not to be outdone herself, Tayuya also moved in and attacked at near melee level, though the loss of her "Ryogo Otsugata Tozantou" and grenade launcher limited her ability to fight.

Then once more, her sensors beeped out a warning of an incoming _Sutherland_. In response, Tayuya swung her machine around to see the light blue knightmare hurtling towards her, one that had already apparently taken much damage judging from its missing left arm and leg. She responded by firing her surger across it, in turn knocking away its right hand manipulator and the machine gun with it. Yet the _Sutherland_ kept up its charge, and Tayuya realized then that it was attempting a kamikaze run. Now in a panic, Tayuya attempted to shoot out the unit's float system, but it kept on its charge, maneuvering around her shots to keep from getting hit in any vital areas while not abandoning its course.

_Shit, shit, shit! _Tayuya's mind cried out as she realized she was going to get hit. At the last second she threw up her radiant wave shield, just after which the Sutherland rammed into the _Guren Isshiki_ with more force than she had expected and almost immediately it exploded. The collision and resulting explosion shock the _Guren _violently and Tayuya's vision was obscured for several seconds, as her body was thrown about the cockpit while her magnetic restraints kept her from taking any serious injuries.

"Rei Nine, get out of there!" one of the twins yelled out in warning, though Tayuya was too dazed to figure out which. The warning was enough to snap Tayuya back to reality, to which she discovered that while her shield had deflected most of the explosion, it still collapsed toward the end, costing her knightmare's head, left leg below the knee and a good portion of her armor. But much worse, her sensors were picking up six more _Sutherlands_ closing in on her position, all lining up to take her out from the flanks.

_Damn it, and I'm almost out of radiant wave energy!_ Tayuya thought, her teeth clenched as she prepared herself to go down fighting. After all, she was not just any Black Knight; she was a member of Zero Squadron, Zero's elite guard and the best that the BK had to offer. As such, if she was going to go out, she was going to take at least one of her killers with her.

But just as she was about to cry out "REMEMBER JAPAN!" and make her last stand with katen yaibatou in hand, _another Guren Isshiki_ dove in from above, firing a surger spray that took out one _Sutherland_, then downing a second with a follow up. The third attempted to raise its machine gun up to fire back, but the _Guren_ dove down with its knife out and slashed it down the middle as it passed, its destruction following not long after. In turn, Tayuya used the opportunity to put her knightmare back into motion, during which she closed the gap between two of her would be killers, one after the other, and incinerated them apart with her surger, while the last was taken out by her savior's slash harken.

After the last was destroyed, Jugo's face quickly appeared in the monitor. "Rei Ten to Rei Nine, you alright Tayuya!?" he started, concern obvious.

Tayuya sighed with moderate relief and nodded. "I'll be alright..." she said, feeling her ego bruised somewhat due to the fact she needed saving, but still grateful for the assistance, even if it was from one of the other newbies besides the Goth Twins. _Just isn't my time to die yet._

But then after the moment passed, her eyes flickered with malice once more. _"...after I stomp a few more Brit roaches!"_ she called out, swinging her surger out and charging back into the fight once more, moving in to rejoin the twins.

"Wait Nine, you can't...!" Jugo started, but was unable to keep his comrade from her renewed assault. Sighing himself, he soon charged in after her, letting out a deep, bellowing battle cry of his own as he did.

* * *

In a snapshot, Kallen launched off another radiant wave stream, only for the newly transformed _Tristan_ to dive out of the way and counter with its own slash harken. In turn, Kallen had the _Guren_ bank to the side as the harken lanced out and reached its wire length, forcing the _Tristan_ to retract it and fire off its machine cannons in follow up attempt to catch the red knightmare. The ace of the Black Knights evaded this as well, having the _Guren_ fly to the left at a greater velocity than the Knight of Three could track, and soon enough the _Tristan_ flew past its opponent without doing any damage whatsoever.

"Damn, I gotta say I'm impressed...!" Gino stated out loud over the open communication channel. He flipped around and transformed back into KF mode, where he attempted to try and hit the _Nishiki_ again with one of his harkens, but his opponent was far quicker in evading than he was in attacking. "Not everyday I run into an enemy that can fight on the level of the Rounds!" The _Tristan_ then redrew its maser vibration poleaxes, combined them and moved in for a might slash, forcing Kallen to block with her fork knife. His lips then reformed into a smile as he stared down at the red knightmare's twin sapphire eyes. "It's really a damn shame you're not on our side; you would have made a great Round yourself."

This only annoyed Kallen further. "Goddammit, do you ever shut up!" she retorted as she broke the locked swords and made a counter slash of her own, which the _Tristan_ performed a midair leap to avoid. She followed this up by angling her grenade launcher and firing a pair of grenades to try and catch the Knight of Three while he was still open, but Gino merely dashed to the left to avoid either explosive. "Not even Jeremiah Gottwald blathered this much when I fried him!"

"Do I look like an orange to you?" Gino replied with mock offense, somehow feeling amusement toward his opponent's lack of patience or willingness to hold a conversation during a fight. He was then forced to bank again when the _Guren_ launched its radiant wave surger out with its harken booster, in turn just barely managing to keep from getting snagged. "In fact, I should feel insulted; you dare compare the illustrious Knight of Three to that failure?"

"I could care less what you are...!" Kallen roared as she attempted to dodge another swipe from the _Tristan_'s poleaxe. Unfortunately she wasn't able to completely avoid it and a chunk of armor was cut out of her left shoulder, but that did not hinder her in the slightest. _"You're just going to be another victim of mine anyway!" _She in turn countered by firing her slash harken at near point blank, smashing it against the _Tristan_'s torso, though it was able to deflect it with minimal damage. She took the oppurtunity to dive in close and try to ensnare the Britannian knightmare in her claw once again, but her opponent was quick to recover and put his knightmare into a climb, transforming back into fortress mode along the way. He then flipped around and fired off an inverted electromagnetic burst from his newly combined rail cannon, but Kallen was able to evade that with ease as she climbed up to meet him.

With its harkens still deployed and the _Guren_ out of the line of fire for its machine cannons, it seemed impossible for the _Tristan_ to be able to defend itself as the red knightmare flew right up to it and moved in to grasp it with its right arm. At least, until Gino activated his torso mounted thrusters and pushed the _Tristan_ into "reverse", flying backward several meters and evading the _Guren_'s grasp once again. It was only then he let loose his machine cannons, forcing the _Guren_ to engage its radiant wave shield to deflect the bullets.

Taking advantage of the situation as she usually did, Kallen advanced forward, keeping her shield raised and charging through each bullet shot at her. Once she was upon the _Tristan_ she would immediately drop them and then stab it through with her fork knife or fire a grenade at point blank; at this point, she hadn't decided on which yet, but she imagined it wouldn't matter when the time came. However, once she did get that close, dropped shield and made her attack, Gino did something that she didn't expect; instead of transforming the _Tristan_ fully, he simply had the right leg shoot out from underneath, then raised it up to _kick_ aside the _Guren_'s left arm. At this, Kallen reacted by bringing around her surger claw, but the _Tristan_ swatted that away as well with its left arm, using the still retracted harken there as a club to do so. In the middle of that "maneuver", it managed to return to its knightmare mode before bringing down its poleaxe, cutting a neat sized gash across the _Guren_'s chest, such that sparks erupted from the opening like blood, and with enough force to send the red knightmare flying back.

_"You...!"_ Kallen growled as she leveled her surger once more and fired off a stream, to which the _Tristan_ dodged in a nearly obnoxious fashion.

"Hey, nobody said I _can't_ fight up close in fortress mode. You can only fault yourself for underestimating your enemy." Gino replied as if it were simple fact, all the while he continued to dodge each shot the _Guren_ launched at it with certain flourish. Soon enough it moved to close the gap between the two machines with its poleaxe ready, while _Guren_ itself abandoned its attempts ranged fire and moved in with its fork knife as well. The running melee battle resumed not long after, as the two knightmares continued to dance around the sky, maneuvering past the other skirmishes between the Britannian and Black Knight knightmares, and even continuing their fight over the passing hull of one of the remaining _Caerleon_-class destroyers.

Upon moving over the latter, the _Tristan _ascended away from its opponent, giving the destroyer open aim with its CIWS and missiles, which it fired at the _Guren_ while its HV cannons, the ones that had not been blown out by enemy firepower anyway, continued to rain shells against the _Ikaruga_. Once again cursing her opponent, Kallen put her knightmare into overdrive, moving around the streams of bullets and missiles as it kept chase against the _Tristan_. After a few moments of precise maneuvering, in which she got clear of the CIWS but not the missiles, she switched her surger to spray mode and fired a funnel of crimson at the incoming projectiles, causing them all to detonate prematurely before she again took off after the _Tristan_. "Don't think you can get away from me that easily!" she called out as she brought her knife against the Britannian knightmare's poleaxe again. "I've chased down much worse than you back in Japan...!"

"On the contrary, I don't want to get away from you." Gino replied with a faux "lady killer" grin. "I just prefer it where the woman is chasing after _me_...!"

"...with pitch forks and torches I would imagine!" Kallen shot back as she put much greater force against her knife.

Gino whistled in response as he deflected another blow. "Nice, you made a joke; we've made good progress. Maybe there's hope for you yet Kallen Kouzuki!" he twirled the poleaxe around and attempted to behead the _Guren_, but the red frame was fast enough to dodge to the side.

"But not for you Britannian!" Kallen growled as she fired her slash harken, only for the _Tristan_ fire its right handed harken to intercept and deflect. She followed this up by firing another surger beam. "I swear I'm going to make an _example_ of you by the time we're through here!"

Gino let out a drawn out sigh at that. "If only I got a shilling for every time a girl tells me that..." he muttered in false disappointment, before dodging yet another radiant wave shot in a midair flip.

* * *

**Pearl Harbor Naval Base  
County of Crusoe, Area 7 (Sandwich Islands), Holy Britannian Empire  
April 11, 2025 a.t.b.**

The hadron blasts screamed through the air in their course toward the _Lancelot_, and with a scream of his own Suzaku threw the throttle upward, forcing his knightmare skyward to avoid them. He switched back to his own launcher afterward and returned fire, but by that time the _Gawain_ was on the move, jetting to its right and moving too fast for Suzaku's aim to connect, the black and gold frame all but performing loop-to-loops to narrowly avoid the _Lancelot_'s fire. Suzaku couldn't help but glower at that as he disengaged his launcher again and moved back to his VARIS, firing several shots that the _Gawain_ also dodged outright or simply deflected with those golden shields it generated off and on, which were likely an add on from the part of Rakshata. Either way, none of Suzaku's firepower was getting through to the behemoth.

_You've only made your enemy stronger._ Genbu's words echoed throughout Suzaku's mind as he fought on, and somehow he could almost hear his late father's laughter echo alongside them as once more he was proven right. Indeed, it was only now, when he was once again trying to kill him, that Suzaku saw the height of strength Lelouch had reached through these last eight years. Though obviously Suzaku still had him beat in battle experience and overall skill, Lelouch was still able to hold his own and even push back against him, using his knowledge of his former ally's combat style in tandem with his own methods of fighting with the _Gawain_. All enough that while Suzaku had yet to recognize him as a threat to his life and therefore bring the "Live" command out of dormancy, he was still unable to beat Lelouch himself, and the damage being done to the _Lancelot_ was slowly but surely building up.

The latter part especially was brought back into light when Lelouch again fired his hadron cannons. Instinctively Suzaku banked to the right to evade the beams just as they launched, but it was only after he executed the maneuver that he realized Lelouch _hadn't_ been aiming for him at all. Rather, the beams shot into a nearby building, a hangar that had somehow been spared from the Black Knights' earlier blitzkrieg, which then caused the vehicles still inside to detonate in a grand explosion. All at once shards of metal and machinery embedded themselves into the _Lancelot_'s right side, not doing enough damage to disable the seventh generation knightmare's internals but still enough to tear into its armor and cause the whole frame to rock with Suzaku inside it. Unfortunately, the same could not be said about _Lancelot_'s VARIS, which had ended up being embedded with a significantly larger shard around its barrel.

"Damn it, I should have known you would resort to cheap tricks!" Suzaku cursed the now charging image of the _Gawain_ as his diagnostics read the VARIS was now inoperable. In a matter of near milliseconds he redrew a MVS with his left hand to deflect the _Gawain_'s blow, all the while throwing away the VARIS remains from his right and ejecting the hadron launcher from the cockpit pod; without his rifle, the launcher was inoperable as well and therefore dead weight that Suzaku could do without.

"Oh? And how are those 'cheap tricks' any different from you running up a wall to kick a gun camera?" Lelouch shot back with bemusement, bringing his left sword down with a crash, which was only deflected when the _Lancelot_ raised its right leg and knocked the blade away with the Blaze Luminous shield mounted there. At the same time, Suzaku redrew his right MVS and made a slash of his own, but Lelouch had no trouble deflecting that attack either. "Besides, to quote a certain Britannian, the purpose of any fighting is to win! Only a simpleton would believe in 'clean' fighting!"

As if to emphasize the point, Lelouch fired out his left hand slash harkens, which Suzaku knocked away with a mere swipe of his right arm Blaze Luminous, only to be left open to entanglement when Lelouch fired his right hand slash harkens a moment later. Then with a powerful heave, Lelouch swung the _Lancelot_ into the remains of a nearby control tower, smashing the _Lancelot_ through the burning ruins of twisted metal with enough force to crush a _Sutherland_ on impact, before releasing the white knightmare from his hold. He then charged in to strike his opponent with his energy blades once more, but to no real surprise Suzaku managed to recover from his daze before then, his rage now increased by a fraction, and had the _Lancelot_ shoot out of the crevasse and intercept the _Gawain_ in midflight. With a furious roar, Suzaku smashed his swords against the _Gawain_'s blades, driving it back some distance as it put more power to its float system.

Lelouch, gritting his teeth as his hand gripped the control stick with enough force to crush a man's throat, put more power into his own float system and just managed to halt the _Lancelot_'s drive against him, before knocking the MVS blades away and moving in to make an attack of his own. The _Lancelot_ shot back in turn, the golden energy blade sweeping where it had once been, before firing off his four slash harkens as a counter. To these, Lelouch reached a hand out and formed the Absolute Defense Field, the collection of golden hexagons deflecting all four of the rocket propelled anchors like a metal roof to hail.

The _Lancelot_ only pressed on the attack as it retracted its harkens, flying around the _Gawain_, just as the larger unit dropped its shield; a moment later, the _Lancelot_ slammed its right foot into the _Gawain_'s side, the Blaze Luminous generator easily breaking through the black armor upon impact and leaving a large gash into the _Gawain_'s hip. Lelouch attempted to counter that by driving his "Spatha" downward, thereby cutting the _Lancelot_ through the middle, but Suzaku backed away before the blade could impact, then launched a slash attack of his own, which Lelouch only narrowly dodged himself at the cost of the golden fin on the _Gawain_'s right shoulder assembly. Unfortunately Lelouch wasn't able to dodge the following slash, which cut a deep wound into the _Gawain_'s right leg and when he attempted to bring up the Absolute Defense Field again Suzaku feinted his attack and struck against the unguarded side, nearly costing Lelouch a hadron cannon in the process.

Lelouch snarled as the last slash cut deep into the _Gawain_ torso, nearly grazing the superconductor drive. Suzaku was going further over the edge as the fight went on, and Lelouch knew that he would be absolutely no match for him if he went into a true berserker state like he did during the Black Rebellion, in which he wiped out an entire Black Knights battalion singlehandedly and nearly killed Kallen before Lelouch finally stepped in and ensnared him in a carefully laid trap. And then there was the "Live" command that he had to still worry about, which Lelouch had no doubt would activate at any point he were able to push Suzaku into a corner. With those factors, Lelouch knew the only way he was going to bring Suzaku down would be through a single attack, one that Suzaku would not see coming yet powerful enough to at least disable the _Lancelot_. But what would it be?

And then, when Lelouch managed to cast a side glance at his sensor display while parrying another of Suzaku's attacks, he saw what he needed and a plan formulated automatically thereafter. Not long after, the _Gawain_ swung its sword to the side, knocking the _Lancelot_'s sword away from its next cut, and then made a dive toward ground level. Suzaku followed with earnest, pushing his machine to its maximum speed and not being obstructed by anything. Even when Lelouch cut down the ruins of a nearby gun tower to fall across Suzaku's flight path, the Knight of Seven merely slashed the ruins into two more pieces and continued pursuit.

"You can't run from me, not this time Lelouch!" Suzaku called out, his voice even more fanatical than it was at the beginning. "And I'm _never_ going to let you go _either_!"

"Who says I'm trying to run from _you_?" Lelouch responded, ignoring the clenching of his stomach at the crazed tone in Suzaku's voice. There was something off there, more so than simple bloodlust for him or absolute loyalty to Britannia's cause or his own foolish beliefs, but Lelouch had no time to think about it. With a dull thud and a screech of rubber, the _Gawain_'s landspinners flipped out and touched the ground, causing the whole frame to speed along the burning compound as the _Lancelot_ kept its pursuit, also switching over to its landspinners.

This seemingly proved to be Lelouch's downfall however, as the _Lancelot_ was quite easily the faster of the two knightmares on the ground, and Suzaku demonstrated the fact when he quickly overtook the _Gawain_, leapt into the air and moved to strike from behind. In truth however, Lelouch had long anticipated that attack and shifted the _Gawain_ into a one hundred eighty degree turn that caused it to face back against its opponent, while raising its right arm up and reforming the Absolute Defense Field to block the slash. This caused the _Lancelot_ to spin around in an effort to attack with its other sword, but Lelouch was able to raise his left arm mounted "Spatha" to parry the attack, just before reopening his hadron cannons and firing off a pair of spray shots, which Suzaku was only able to evade by having the _Lancelot_ leap back upon sight of the twin red glows in the cannon maws.

Now evenly distanced from each other, their respective steeds silhouetted against the glow of the surrounding flames, the two combatants circled each other, both looking for an opening to exploit in the other's defenses. Their breathing hampered, their faces covered with sweat and their eyes retaining eight years worth of freshly unrestrained fury at the other, it was almost impossible to describe either as even remotely human instead of bestial. For a seemingly unknown amount of time, the two former friends just continued their circle, with neither speaking up or averting their gaze, waiting for the other to be the first to cross the line and attack.

And yet in the end, it would be apparent that Suzaku's rage was much greater than Lelouch's, as the glow from his left eye, the cursed sigil embedded in it, and all the painful memories associated to it proved too much for his restraint. With a roar, he drove the _Lancelot_ forward again, swords ready to impale the _Gawain_ once it closed the gap.

Unfortunately for the Knight of Seven however, Lelouch was more than prepared for his charge. Charging his hadron cannons again, Lelouch made it appear that he was going to attempt a snapshot at the _Lancelot_, a feint that proved effective when the _Lancelot_ banked to the left in a preemptive attempt at evasion. However, just before he fired, Lelouch arced the cannons downward, launching both beams into the ground, resulting in its incineration and causing a cloud of smoke to emerge in front of the _Gawain_.

Entirely undeterred by the smokescreen, Suzaku launched the _Lancelot_ forward again and moved through the cloud, anticipating immediate contact with the black titan. What he and his blades found however, was empty space, as the _Gawain_ had apparently vanished at some point before his strike.

_"Coward!"_ Suzaku roared with clear anger as he had the _Lancelot_'s head turn to and fro, trying to find some visual sign of the _Gawain_, all the while cursing the fact it had a gefjun disturber built in. _"Even with all that power and skill, you still duck back and hide at the first opportunity! You're _still_ the same coward I chased down throughout Japan!"_

No verbal response came, even after several moments past. Yet there was a flickering signal emanating some distance away from Suzaku's position, one that was not yet identifiable but more than likely the _Gawain_'s heat signature. Needless to say, it didn't take that much on Suzaku's part to know Lelouch was leading him on, and that there was likely a trap waiting for him on the other side. At the same time however, he was too pissed off to care, evidenced when he turned the _Lancelot_ toward that direction.

_"Fine Lelouch...!"_ Suzaku stated, his face still glowering with rage._ "I'll play it your way!"_ he shouted, as he had the _Lancelot_ take off toward the flickering signal.

* * *

**Britannian air cruiser **_**Avalon**_**  
Pacific Ocean  
April 11, 2025 a.t.b.**

Talia inwardly snarled as she made a glance at the enemy battleship, which looked to be moving around to catch her cruiser on its starboard side. In return, her ship continued to lay down a barrage with everything it had, but again the battleship's shields held against the firepower and its own HV cannons, the ones that had clear shots, returned fire in kind, causing additional damage to the _Avalon_'s already weakened starboard shields. The _Plymouth_ and the _Southampton_ were doing all they could to support as well, but they too were having no more luck than they had since the battle began, while the loss of the _Haverhill_ made the battle all the more trying.

_At this rate, we're all going to be shot down before we make a single dent in that thing._ Talia thought as her mind raged through every possible tactical maneuver and strategy that she could employ against the enemy warship. The usage of Lloyd Asplund's latest superweapon stood out above the rest, as it was specifically designed to take down enemy ships like the one before her, but she knew she would be going against direct orders from High Command if she utilized it, her superiors not wishing to unveil its existence to enemy forces at this time. Any other time Talia would have felt her gut clench with anger at how the brass always got in the way of those doing the real fighting, but for the time being she was to concentrated on finding a way to survive and win the battle at hand. "Status of enemy shields?"

"Inconclusive ma'am. I'm still unable to determine its strength or composition." Preston reported from his sensor readings. Suddenly, something on his board beeped in warning. "Colonel, I'm picking up a power surge coming from the enemy's bow. It's...Oh no...!" Preston replied as he looked from his monitor with clear horror and toward the main monitor.

Talia didn't have to order Preston to explain his exclamation, as she and the rest of the bridge already saw it on the main monitor, and were subsequently overtaken by a similar amount of horror. By now the enemy battleship was beginning to swing around and present its bow toward the _Avalon_'s side, and as it did so a pair of armored ports retracted from either side of the bow, in turn revealing a pair of cannons to the battle. However, it wasn't the design of these cannons that instilled dread into those who beheld them; rather, it was the telltale crimson glows that appeared on either cannon's barrel tip, which grew more and more intense as the enemy battleship angled itself directly toward the _Avalon_.

"It can't be..." Edward let out, his entire body trembling from his station as his eyes became entrapped with the two scarlet orbs, too afraid to hold his gaze but even more afraid to turn away, like an animal caught in the crosshairs of a hunter. A reasonable reaction for one staring into the open maw of a hadron cannon, or in this case two.

Talia, however, was not as paralyzed. "All power to engines! Evade!" she shouted toward the helm station. Yet even as the _Avalon_'s helmsman, 1st Lieutenant Henry Yardbirds, followed her command, Talia knew all too well that it was too late.

And that was when fate once more intervened. Mere moments before the battleship fired its hadron streams, the destroyer _Plymouth_ moved in and interposed itself between the _Avalon_ and her soon-to-be killer, at the same time shifting all of its auxiliary power to its own port side Blaze Luminous. Before anyone could react to this development, the battleship fired its cannons and shot twin beams of scarlet directly into the _Plymouth_'s side, its power enhanced shields holding momentarily before finally buckling, resulting in the beams ripping through its main hull and causing the whole destroyer to erupt in a nova-like detonation.

Yet the _Plymouth_'s sacrifice was not in vane, as the time it held back the battleship's hadron streams was just enough for the _Avalon_ to get out of the line of fire, the twin streams of crimson never reaching her orange hull even when they punched through the starboard side of the _Plymouth_. By the time the destroyed detonated, the _Avalon_ was clear, though it could not escape the shockwaves or the flying remains of the newly nonexistent destroyer.

"The _Plymouth_ has been sunk!" Preston called out from his station, once more horrified at what his sensors were telling him. "I'm not picking up any escape pods or shuttles!"

"I'm not finding any SOS!" 2nd Lieutenant Rebecca Hawke, one of the communications operators, nearly shrieked out, looking as though she were about to break down and cry.

_Damned monster...!_ Talia thought as she felt her teeth grit together, her mind set on the commander and crew of the _Plymouth_, who sacrificed their lives so that she and hers could live on and continue fighting. It took a few moments for her to regain herself, but once she managed to work up the urge to continue the fight, her voice came out in a grave, yet intense tone, like the rumblings of a volcano before its eruption. "Arm the VARIS cannon."

"Colonel!" Edward spoke in protest. "We are under strict orders not to use that weapon unless permitted by High Command!"

"I don't care!" Talia shot back, her voice easily overriding her XO's and indirectly informing her crew that her orders were not to be questioned. "I'll take full responsibility, but first we have to sink that bastard! Now do it!"

"Aye ma'am!" Eric as began the arming sequence for the _Avalon_'s newest and most powerful weapon, and by extension a great enhancement of the _Lancelot_'s trademark firearm. In a matter of seconds, energy began to surge into the long barrel at the _Avalon_'s bow, which had replaced the center catapult deck of the cruiser's original configuration, powering the impact rails within while a line of shells were loaded into the firing chamber. At the same time, Henry brought the _Avalon_ to starboard, giving it a clear shot into the side of the battleship, which in turn did not make any evasive maneuvers; a true reverse of the original positioning between the two ships.

Soon enough, Eric's monitor indicated the weapon was ready and that it was locked onto the target. "VARIS cannon charged and ready!"

Talia did not waste any time in giving the command. "Fire!"

* * *

TO BE CONTINUED...

**Author's Notes:** Once again sorry for my tardiness in updating. This turned out to be harder to write than I expected, even though I had nearly everything planned out. It also didn't help that it turned out to be _longer_ than I expected; in fact, I intended to have a lot more in this chapter, but to make a long story short (literally), I ended up cutting the chapter at "halfway" point of sorts and continuing with the other half in 16. That said, I'm sorry that I ended this chapter in the middle of a battle, especially after the last two, and I hope the reader understands I did this when it became apparent I was going to wind up with 70-80+ pages in chapter length (as opposed to a "mere" 54 as it is now) Anyway, moving onto story related notes...

Since I started this story, many people have asked me _why_ I had given Lelouch actual piloting skills with a knightmare frame. Some have claimed that I went too far with it, that I had upset some invisible balance that the _Code Geass_ universe dwelled upon, as if giving Lulu the capacity to fight back effectively and therefore be able lead his troops from the front without having to rely on some magical plot device or twist of fate would somehow end all existence as we know it. Others have claimed I've turned Lulu into my own personal Gary Stu over this, as if I have such an inferiority complex that I latch onto random fictional characters, give them top notch fighting abilities, and then send them out to kick ass in order to project myself from my obviously "pitiful" real life. All that said, now that everyone has read this chapter, I at long last can give a perfectly clear answer to that question: _this is the reason why._

In my opinion, Bandai, in its usual infinite wisdom for storytelling (see the _Gundam 00_ movie for a good example of it), missed a great opportunity when they made Lelouch a weakling, both in and out of a cockpit. Yes, I get they wanted to emphasize Lelouch as a King chess piece, ironically the weakest yet most important piece on the board, while Suzaku was analogous to the Knight and Kallen to the Queen. Yes, I also get they wanted to make Lelouch different from other mecha series protagonists, in that he wasn't gifted with supernatural fighting powers (beyond Geass anyway) nor the ability to jump into a cockpit, read a manual and then automatically take on trained aces (complete with a legion of fanboys behind the concept to claim "it's all realistic!"), instead having to rely on his brains and cunning to defeat his enemies. But in doing so, they stripped _Code Geass_ a key element in its storyline, that being Lelouch's rivalry with Suzaku, which I found could have been one of the best fated rivalries in an anime since Amuro and Char (at least as the fanboys like to repute it as). Instead, while Suzaku continued to be both a moral and at times physical foil to Lelouch's philosophy and agenda, Lelouch's inability to combat Suzaku on equal terms (instead relying on Kallen to do such) cut down on the rivalry's effect on the storyline, relegating it to little more than nonexistent as neither character could directly contend with the other except during certain events, such as the finale of season one or the encounter at the Kururugi Shrine. Otherwise, the characters' strife with each other is only apparent to the viewer when either spout off their respective philosophical dialogues, with the scene changing from one to the other.

Fortunately, this is my story and while Bandai may hold the copyrights, I'm still free to do with my own work as I see fit. And to the people that claimed I've been Gary Stuing, you'll all be quick to notice that in spite of Lelouch's growth as a pilot up to this point, he's still not quite up there with Suzaku and still had to rely somewhat on tactical maneuvering in order to fight him. That said, I hope people will give me more latitude with future chapters.

As for some minor notes specifically on some retcons I implemented while writing this chapter. First, people will notice that I pulled a retcon and "promoted" Rai from a member of Zero Squadron into being the commander of his own unit. The reason for that is simple: at first I put Rai into _Megiddo_ as a sort of fan service, but as the story progressed I began to develop upon his character more with the help of certain associates. Soon enough, it became apparent that Rai was no longer a minor background character and had grown into a vital part to the storyline. That combined with the fact he's supposed to be one of the more integral members of the Black Knights (though I didn't make him part of Lelouch's inner circle like in some _Lost Colors_ storylines) made me decide to give command of the Black Knights' 9th Knightmare Squadron "Raiden". Beyond that, I also switched out Calares with Upson (the one time General from R2 episode six) in the previous chapters, as I noticed that, after rereading them, the character I wrote ended up sounding more like the latter than the former. That and I came up with a much more vindictive fate for Calares, which is displayed in the characters section of the Megiddo wiki...

And before anyone asks or points it out, yes I did borrow the _Minerva_ crew from _Mobile Suit Gundam SEED DESTINY_ to run the _Avalon_. I know I've been "borrowing" a lot of characters from other series (and real life) as of late, but I have a reason for this (and it's not that I'm unoriginal): for fanfiction, I tend to use outside character designs from other series because they're easily recognizable to the audience. Those that have seen the original series that these characters have come from will automatically get a visual image and perhaps an understanding for such characters, while those that haven't can easily look up the information. As for this particular set, they always struck me as the most professional ship crew in _Gundam_ period, as they are all established military aligned personnel as opposed to the usual ragtag bunch you see on say, the _White Base_, _Archangel_ or _Ptolemaios_. Therefore, what better group is there for running Schneizel's flagship?

Beyond that, I again apologize for ending this chapter so "early". Hopefully 16 will come much more quickly, and I promise that the story will advance past the "Pearl Harbor arc" at that point.

**Author's Notes 2:** I don't usually respond to reviews on the chapter itself, but one of the reviewers for this chapter (Atari) brought up a point that people have _also_ been accusing me of for a while: bastardizing Suzaku. In this case, Atari claims I destroyed the rivalry between Lulu and Suzu, that I made Lelouch completely "right" about everything and Suzaku completely "wrong", and that the canon series wasn't about their rivalry but their "relationship". Usually, I reply to these reviews through PM, but since Atari didn't login I can't do that, and I'm too respectful of other people's opinions to delete reviews like that. So, this is my reply.

To put it bluntly Atari, I disagree on all three points. For your first claim, the theme on _Code Geass_ wasn't Lelouch and Suzaku's friendship strictly; it was about their friendship breaking apart because of their seperate viewpoints. You claim I created a "stereotypical black vs. white" rivalry, yet I can count more than one story in which two childhood friends end up on opposite sides and end up killing each other toward the end, which amusingly, happened in CG (if you count Suzaku's "death"). If anything, I'd say I preserved their friendship here; if you notice, neither Lelouch nor Suzaku went and attacked the other right off the bat. Instead, they had their moment together, in which they both reached out to the other in their own kind of way, yet neither side was willing to budge for the other, and as a result it devolved to them fighting it out. Had it been what you claimed it as, it would have been written like a bad _Gundam_ story, where the two rivals are out to kill each other right when their eyes meet.

Now for your second claim, that I made Lelouch automatically right and Suzaku automatically wrong. Well Atari, I hate to break it to you, but the way I see it, _that is the case_, at least on the part of Suzaku being wrong period. As many readers can attest to my telling them, I compare Suzaku helping Britannia to the select Jews helping the Nazis out with the Holocaust, in the belief that they are bettering themselves before the Germans; not only were they aiding an evil empire in oppressing and killing off their own kind, but they were making the evil stronger instead of changing it around. In Suzaku's case, he debuted by aiding the Britannians' genocide of the Shinjuku Ghetto, in which he took direct action with the _Lancelot_ in eliminating the resistance forces that were trying to protect it and repel the Brits; in OTL that would be considered a war crime, as he was taking a direct role in an ethnic purging. From then on, Suzaku would take more direct actions to ensure Britannia's continued control over Japan, which I do not need to list here, and all throughout instead of doing what he claimed over and over (i.e. working _through_ the system to invoke change and make it all better), he only empowered the _status quo_ to the point that the corruption and suffering spread; this would also be considered a war crime in OTL, as Suzaku was directly supporting an illegitimate tyrannical regime in violating human rights. The only exception to this was when he tried to support Euphie's SAZ, which is another story altogether.

Of course, putting his activities and track record aside, there are three reasons I'm "punishing" Suzaku here with his insanity and regret over his actions. The first reason is because he knew _exactly_ what he was fighting for; after Lelouch rescued him from Jeremiah's "parade" in CG episode 4, Suzaku admitted himself that Britannia was corrupt and rotten to its core, or at least agreed with Lulu's assessment of it. This meant that all throughout CG, he knew he was fighting for the wrong side, yet instead of practicing what he preached and working to change it for the better from within, he only became another one of its glorified bully boys. This culmulated in R2 where he joined the Knight of the Rounds for the sole purpose of taking Japan as his domain; besides the fact there's no guarantee Suzaku wouldn't have become the Japanese equivalent of Vidkun Quisling in the administration of his "territory", it also meant that he was willing to damn the rest of the world to Britannia's tyranny (as he is here, except I had him admit to what he was doing) for his own objectives. Funny how he claimed Lelouch was driven by lust for power, yet he himself was operating from the same angle of his accusation, which I'll get to in a minute.

The second reason comes from Mao's revelation in CG episode 16, in that Suzaku's motivations did not come from the needs of Japan, but his shame and guilt over the crime of patricide, and that his real intentions was to die a pathetic death as I had Lelouch say here. You'd think committing _seppuku_ would be the easier alternative, but then we wouldn't have a story if Suzaku offed himself early on. Anyway, my issue here is, similarly to how R2 Suzaku was willing to hand the world over to Britannia on a silver platter just to gain control of Japan, Suzaku was essentially doing all the things he did for the hope that someone would come along and put him out of his misery. In other words, a grandiose death wish, no different from a kid holding up a high school in the hope that the police would shoot to kill. Picture _that_ if you will; all the death and suffering caused by Britannia thanks to Suzaku's support, all because deep down inside he couldn't live with himself yet wasn't willing to kill himself either. But then, as written here, Euphie came along and all of a sudden he gained a purpose and reason to live on, and even then Lelouch had to Geass him to live because, apparently, that wasn't good enough for him either.

And then there's the third reason, the reason that infuriates me toward Suzaku's character to no end: his hypocrisy, namely in regards to Lelouch and himself. There is a Bible verse, Matthew 7:5, that claims "Before you remove the speck from your brother's eye, remove the plank from your own so you can see clearly." In other words, before you judge others, be sure that you are not guilty of the same crime. In this case, Suzaku fails _definitively_; from the beginning of CG to its end, he has accused Lelouch of everything short of being the Antichrist, yet many of the things he accuses him of have either been done by or have become character traits of Suzaku himself. Caring only about results? How about oppressing your entire race and other races for career advancement. Using detestable means to achieve ends? I believe aiding a tyrannical regime in subjugating a country, directly opposing the representatives of the legitimate government (which would fall to Kyoto House and/or the JLF at that period) and supporting the clamp downs on the regular citizenry to achieve your own objectives (whether it be the "change from within" BS, the wanting pay for his father's murder or just wanting daddy's old business) qualifies. Being foolish? That speaks for itself.

And yet, what _really_ grates my nerves isn't even the hypocrisy so much as Suzaku never receiving any repurcussions for his actions like Lelouch did. Say what you will about Lelouch and his deeds, but one thing nobody can question is that Lelouch suffered from guilt and anguish from beginning to end, which in turn was how Zero Requiem was born. Suzaku, on the other hand, never so much as lost sleep over his deeds; the closest that ever happened was in a Sound Drama that I never heard myself, one that depicted Suzaku's activities in Europe (France I think) and how he despised what he was doing there. Not once did we ever see Suzaku second guess himself, or feel the weight of all those that died and/or suffered because of him; in fact, more often than not he simply passed the blame to Lelouch and made it out like he was "forced" to fight and kill needlessly. Granted, there was the point he FLEIJAed Tokyo, but I'm not sure what he was feeling there; was it guilt over all the deaths he caused, remorse and shame for his own stupidity in taking out a WMD when he knew he was not of the right mind to use it, or did he just flip out when he realized that for all the so-called "right means" he performed, he never once achieved his ends? Judging by his claims to Schneizel and company not much later, I'd say it's more the third than the other two.

Either way Atari, it is your stereotypical black vs. white story, but in reverse: specifically, Suzaku, for all the things he did, _believed_ zealously that he was on the side of righteousness and that Lelouch, for all the things _he _did, was the Evil Overlord that he had to defeat. Not once did Suzu ever see himself as wrong, no matter how much events said otherwise, and not once did he show remorse for his choices (beyond killing Genbu anyway) like Lelouch, the man he accused of only caring about results, had. And at the end of the series, whereas Lelouch paid the ultimate price for his deeds, Suzaku was allowed to live on without once admitting to how wrong he was beyond his "right means to right ends" _modus operadi_ going nowhere, nor receiving repurcussions for his actions beyond his having dispense his name and exist as Zero (which if _The Miraculous Birthday_ and the final Picture Drama are any indication, isn't as bad as it sounds).

That all said, however, despite all the suffering Suzaku has endured and _will_ endure before the story is through, unlike many other _Code Geass_ fanfiction writers, I haven't actually damned him to his fate. I won't say where he'll end up by the time _Megiddo_ is done, but I will say this much: one of the main themes of this story is redemption. It's just as Lelouch said here, both have sinned since the beginning, yet there is still hope for either. The split comes down to Lelouch believing redemption can be achieved for both of them, whereas Suzaku believes himself too far gone (notice he never said the same about Lelouch). Both have their reasons for their beliefs, and both have their means to achieve what they seek, just as it was in the original _Code Geass_.

And for the last point in your review, I'm not sure how Kallen fits the image of a Mary Sue; granted, I did expand her role somewhat more than it was in the series, but she's not beyond taking damage nor is she completely dominating in battle. Even with her Geass she's not really all that different than how she was depicted in the series, where she did things like fight against a flight capable _Lancelot_ with a flightless _Guren_ (and nearly defeated it), beat down _two_ Knights of the Round at the same time, almost took down Xingke and the _Shen Hu_ only to be stopped by a technical issue, took down the Knight of Ten without breaking a sweat, and then fought Suzaku to a standstill in the final episode even when the "Live" command was active (whereas I had the opposite occur in Chapter 6-7). All in all, not to pat myself on the back or anything, but I think I've done a fine job with her so far.

Anyway, I hope you found my reply acceptable. If you wish, or if anyone else, wishes to continue debating me on the matter, please do so by PMing me, as I want Reviews strictly to be around Chapter 15 itself and not what I have written in the afterward. Thank you.

**Author's Notes 3:** The author of this story would like to make it known that, to whoever is reading, his hopes and prayers go out to the citizens of Sendai and all others who were affected by the 8.9 earthquake and tsunami fallout on March 11, 2011. May God be with you all.


	16. Chapter 16: Calling to the Night

_"Confront them with annihilation, and they will then survive; plunge them into a deadly situation, and they will then live. When people fall into danger, they are then able to strive for victory."_  
- Sun Tzu

**Chapter 16: Calling to the Night**

**Britannian **_**Logres**_**-class air battleship **_**Magnificent  
**_**Los Angeles Air Base, Duchy of California, Area 1 (North America), Holy Britannian Empire  
April 11, 2025 a.t.b.**

With as much efficiency as one would expect from a military airship crew combined with their knowledge of every minute they weren't airborne meant another dead comrade or worse, the crew of the battleship _Magnificient _was hard at work at their respective posts, each preparing their mighty warship for immediate departure. The captain, the grizzled, mustached Lieutenant Colonel Gary McCullen, was currently shouting out to the array of stations that lined the bridge, one after another, and in turn the assorted officers and operators each responded with the current status of their station and the systems that it monitored; a time honored tradition as much as it was a logical procedure, meant to ensure that their vessel was as ready to take to the skies as it could be. And with the way the reports were all coming in, it would only be mere moments before the battleship launched and begun its course westward, alongside the other airships that made up the taskforce.

At the same time, the bridge crew had even greater incentive to get underway as quickly as possible: that incentive was Prince Schneizel, who was sitting in the command chair at the rear of the bridge, flanked by Kanon and three others of his Royal Guard. And even then, it was not the Second Prince's presence that provided motivation to the crew, but rather the fact that, for the first time any had seen of him, Schneizel actually _seemed _angry. Sure, it wasn't physically obvious; in fact, had Schneizel's expression been on any other person, others would have found it "unreadable" at best. But even so, the prince as he was now gave off a great aura of displeasure, evident through his narrowed eyes and the way his hands seemed to grip the armrests of the command chair. That single image was enough to instill a quiet dread throughout those around him, even his own attendants, and only inherent military discipline kept those who beheld him from breaking down to his gaze. Such was the force of the prince's mere presence to those around him.

Standing directly to his side as always, even Kanon had to admit he was greatly disturbed his liege's agitation, though not to the point that his body threatened to breakdown trembling from under him. Part of that was due to the fact he, unlike others, actually _knew_ the sources behind the Prince's wrath: the Emperor, and all the effort the prince had to go through to convince His Majesty to send more ships to "investigate" the "disturbances" in Area 7. For all his charisma and skill at diplomacy, even Schneizel had been unable to initially convince his father to send out a larger armada to Pearl Harbor to counter the enemy; even the revelation that the enemy force was using the _Gawain _in its attack, therefore identifying them as the same group that sacked Pendragon weeks earlier, did little to sway His Majesty. It would not be until a full hour or so later before the Emperor relented and allowed Schneizel to call upon additional forces to intercept the enemy, and if the way the Prince appeared now was any consideration, the Emperor seemed to do so more to humor his son than to respond to a direct threat against his empire.

Though he was not one to voice criticism toward his superiors, especially the Emperor of all people, it disturbed Kanon greatly that His Majesty seemed so unconcerned about recent events, and not just the attacks on Britannian soil. In fact, to Kanon's memory, the Emperor rarely involved himself in any kind of administration for the last several years or so; even the current war in Europe seemed to be more of a trivial affair to him than anything else, as His Majesty had generally left the whole war effort to Schneizel and the other theater commanders and only intervened whenever it seemed to suit him. This had also been the same during the Black Rebellion, in which the Emperor had mysteriously been out of reach throughout, and thus it had again fallen to Schneizel to take command of the battle, and subsequently give the command to initiate Operation Nero. And now it was so once more, with His Majesty showing little if any concern about the fact his Empire was under attack, and it again fell to his son and Chancellor to take direct action in a time of crisis.

For his own part, Schneizel never seemed to let the fact that he was essentially running Britannia in all but name and title bother him too much, but Kanon was no fool. He knew his liege, and he knew that underneath the pleasantries, something dark and sinister was accumulating toward the Emperor and his lack of concern for anything beyond whatever it was he focused himself toward. Now, it had only intensified enough that it could be visibly observed, even if it was just barely. And as he stole a corner glance toward his liege's narrowed eyes, Kanon did not want to think about there ever being a time where that darkness would reach a boiling point. Neither Britannia nor the world as a whole would be able to hold against it.

Yet even in the wake of events at hand, as well as his lord's displeasure, Kanon could not help but dwell back on the Emperor and exactly why he lacked interest at this time. The rebellions that had been popping up around various Areas as of late, as well as the Second Great World War itself, were excusable, as one could claim His Majesty simply saw them as the human race purging itself of those too weak to survive, going along with what he had stated at Third Prince Clovis' funeral not long ago. But what ruler would consider an attack on his or her dominion 'mundane'? Why would the same man that declared the Second Pacific War in response to Japanese ships passively blockading Britannian ports _not_ see the need to counterattack against a direct incursion on his nation's soil? And above all else, exactly _what_possible task could the ruler of an empire that currently controlled over half the Earth devote himself to so greatly that the administration of his country was below concern?

"Your Highness." Colonel McCullen's voice sounded as he suddenly turned to face the prince, breaking Kanon away from his thoughts in the process. The Colonel did his best not to squirm under the Prince's gaze. "We have received confirmation from Air Control. Your taskforce is ready for departure."

The Prince only stared back for a few moments longer. Then, as if whatever fire within in him had been cooled by those words, the minute leer on Schneizel's face disappeared like a puff of smoke, replaced by evident satisfaction. "Very well Colonel. Send word to all ships: launch."

His liege's orders made apparent, the Colonel turned and began shouting orders again. Soon enough, the _Magnificent _lifted off from its resting place and slowly, but with building momentum, took the sky, alongside the other ships that made up the taskforce. When the appropriate altitude was reached, the massive battleship turned until it was facing to the west, before it began to move in full flight, both the ship and crew to face whatever waited them over the horizon, as was their Prince.

Yet again Kanon knew better than the others. For all his apparent determination and finality toward the coming battle, the young attendant knew exactly what was really weighing down on Prince Schneizel's mind.

Growing fear that they may be too late.

* * *

**Black Knights air battleship **_**Ikaruga**_**  
Pacific Ocean  
April 11, 2025 a.t.b.**

The shot from the _Avalon_'s bow cannon reached _Ikaruga_ in a matter of milliseconds, and unlike the HV cannon shots, they did not stop at the radiant wave shielding; rather, the projectile only continued _past_ the _Ikaruga_'s shielding, its entry signaled by the standard red ripples, before blasting into its starboard side with even greater force than a HV shot. The collective shock alone caused the entire ship to pitch to port, knocking nearly the entire crew to the floor and ratting every millimeter of the giant land battleship. The bridge crew were no exception to this, and even those seated could barely keep themselves in their chairs, if not at all.

"Report!" Minami barked as he held himself in place by putting his foot down against his monitor and his hands gripping his chair's arms tightly. By now Shima had managed to get back into his chair as well and get the _Ikaruga_ stabilized, as well as out of the _Avalon_'s line of fire.

"Hull breach on deck eight through twelve, starboard side!" Futuba called as she crawled back up to her seat and overlooked her ship readout screen. "We also lost the number three HV cannon!"

"How is that possible! Our shields are still up!" Kodai let out as he too managed to keep himself from falling from his seat, albeit not as effectively as his Minami.

The ship rumbled again as another shot impacted just as everyone realized how much trouble they were in. "Evasive maneuvers! Keep us off the _Avalon_'s bow and return fire!" Minami ordered, subconsciously waving his right arm in a Zero-like gesture to emphasize the command. "Are the hadron cannons still operational!"

Futuba looked at her monitor and nodded. "Both remain undamaged!"

"Begin recharging them!" Minami ordered as the ship shook again, once more nearly throwing him out of his seat.

The _Ikaruga_ arced in the air as the _Avalon_ continued its attack, bringing its ventral cannons to bare against its opponent, which it immediately open fired with as well as launched a spray of missiles from its VLS. The combined return barrage alongside the missiles was enough to convince the Britannian cruiser to move from its assault momentarily, or at least turn away so the shots would impact against its "Blaze Luminous" while the missiles were intercepted by its CIWS, thus causing it to turn its bow mounted super cannon away along with it. It then proceed to fly toward the _Ikaruga_'s aft, its own HV cannons now continuing to fire in place of its main cannon, which while were still unable to bypass the black battleship's shields, still put additional strain on the radiant wave generators that powered them.

Meanwhile, the _Southampton_, which had just moved toward the _Ikaruga_'s port to avoid being targeted by the battleship's hadron cannons, turned its bow to present all five of its own HV cannons to its enemies side, firing a barrage that complimented the _Avalon_'s. The enemy's tactics weren't lost on Minami; the enemy was now attempting to box him in while keeping away from the hadron cannons' line of fire, and with or without that special cannon on the _Avalon_ he knew his ship would not be able to withstand their collective firepower forever. Silently he cursed himself for revealing the hadron cannons like that, alongside the selfless and valiant crew of the _Plymouth_ that took the shot that was meant for the _Avalon_; despite the fix the Black Knights were now in, Minami had to admit it was hard to see an enemy that sacrificed itself for its comrades in the same light as those who had caused the Devastation.

Either way however, Minami knew that the battle had officially turned for the worst for his side. The Britannians now knew of the _Ikaruga_'s main trump card, and were making great efforts to avoid it using their superior maneuverability, while the _Ikaruga_ itself was quite vulnerable to their own weapon. In that regard, he knew that dividing his ship's firepower between them would be a futile effort, as their "Blaze Luminous" were enough to hold back that kind of weakened firepower, but at the same time he knew he would be risking even greater damage if he attacked either ship directly. Attacking the _Avalon_ solely would only be suicidal, as her captain was obviously skilled enough to keep his or her ship out of harm's way while counterattacking the Black Knights ship's weak points, and going after the _Southampton_ would open up the _Ikaruga_ to an open attack from the _Avalon _as well. And then there were the Britannian reinforcements, which were all but guaranteed to arrive soon, further complicating the scene for Minami and his comrades.

Struggling with both himself and the shuttering from the enemy fire, Minami, his teeth gritted together and his eyes narrowed, whacked his brain to find an effective strategy to implement, a plan that would reverse all their fortunes before the worst occurrence, while Kodai covered for him momentarily in giving commands. Yet, no matter how hard he thought, he could find no way to get his ship out of the fire, as all three paths he could take would only lead to the destruction of his ship and the premature defeat of his side. As such, fear and panic soon set upon the intrepid captain of the black battleship, as well as upon Ohgi and several others, all the while more and more areas of the _Ikaruga_ schematic displayed on the main monitor continued to turn red...

* * *

_"No...!"_ Kallen gasped as she looked into her monitor, which displayed the now smoking _Ikaruga_ along with the _Avalon_ moving around for another pass with that bow cannon. At that point, the _Ikaruga _moved to avoid the cruiser's fire, while at the same time trying desperately to bring its hadron cannons to bare, but it was still unable to outmaneuver the smaller and faster ship. And soon enough, another shot from that cannon were fired into the black battleship's side, causing even more smoke and flame to erupt from its hull.

That slight pause was just enough for the _Tristan _to move in against her and launch its right arm slash harken straight across her side, knocking away her top right wing and nearly causing her knightmare to fall out of the sky. "You let yourself get distracted." he remarked as he retracted the harken. "Not a very professional thing to do."

Kallen grimaced as she felt her machine lose stability, wrestling with the controls to keep from dropping out of the air and at the same time avoid her opponent's next attack, which she knew was about to happen. Sure enough, the _Tristan_ followed up on its attack by transforming and making a dive at the _Guren_, machine cannons blazing away. In turn, Kallen was just able to activate her radiant wave shield and deflect the bullets, then fire off a grenade and then a radiant wave stream as the _Tristan_ passed. Unfortunately, her shots were evaded as the _Tristan_ barrel rolled out of their line of fire. "I don't have any more time to play with _you_!" Kallen barked as she continued firing.

"Really? That's a shame, because you have no real choice." Gino replied in his usual tone, swinging the _Tristan_ around again and firing of his harkens once more. The _Guren _pulled back again in response, but this time firing off more grenades to keep the Knight of the Round unit from closing the distance. Gino grunted as he had his knightmare weave around the grenades, but did not drop his velocity. "Besides, what can you do against a 'Blaze Luminous' equipped cruiser? The only weapon I've ever seen pierce that kind of shielding is a hadron cannon; your surger alone won't do the job!"

"Bastard!" Kallen shot back as she returned fire again, only for the _Tristan _to transform and bank away from her shot. Her follow up shots were little different, as the transformable knightmare did not seem to have any issue evading.

Gino sighed, as if actually annoyed at Kallen's brazen attitude, while in turn he attempted to move in and reengage with his poleaxes. "If you're going to blame anyone for the current situation, you might as well blame yourself and whatever '_baka_' led you out here." Gino said, as he made a slash with his poleaxe that the _Guren_ evaded by flying back. The _Guren _in turn redrew its fork knife and easily parried the next slash. "After all, it was you people who attacked first and then refused to surrender when offered. What did you think our response was going to be for your actions?"

"Don't give me that 'you shot first' crap!" Kallen roared as she attempted to fire out the surger via rocket harken and grapple the _Tristan_ directly, but once again her opponent was able to evade her attack. When he moved to cut the surger wire, Kallen was quick to retract it and return to fighting with her fork knife. "You know _exactly _why we made this attack, and that Britannia doesn't have a leg to stand on! Not after all the things your kind has done in the name of your so-called 'Holy Empire'!"

She knocked away the poleaxe once more and then delivered a kick into the _Tristan_'s side, sending it flying a good few meters away with its pilot temporarily disoriented. "What did you think _our_ response was going to be for _your_ actions on September 13, 2017!?" Kallen demanded as she made a renewed charge, slamming her knife against the _Tristan_'s blades. "Did you think those of us who survived would just let it all go there!? Did you think we would just forget about seven years of bondage that ended in the destruction of our homes and the deaths of our families and friends in one single act!?" the _Guren_ only continued to attack as its pilot went on. _"Did you even bother to think at all, or were the sufferings of a few surviving Elevens and left behind countrymen that far beneath you Britannian!?"_

Upon the utterance of that last word, Gino suddenly felt the playfulness and aloofness disappear from his being, again being replaced with the doubts and disgust he felt within himself to everything associated to that term. Once more he felt the hesitance enter him, accompanied by the images of Aoi and the Devastation being carried out in the distance, as well as the fear that he was fighting for the wrong side in this war. Only the fact he was in the middle of battle, and therefore was concentrated on survival and victory against his current opponent, kept him from breaking down where he was, but it could not keep out the revulsion he felt toward that word being used to describe himself.

But at the same time, Gino knew he could not back down. To back down now would mean he giving up everything he had fought so hard and sacrificed so much for, and as pained as Gino felt toward aiding Britannia in world domination and fighting a remnant of a civilization it had destroyed, he knew it was nothing compared to the idea of abandoning his service to Lelouch and the goal of making him Emperor, so that he may reform Britannia and humanity as a whole. As such, he steeled himself in the face of his enemy and it showed; instead of his usual aloofness, his face adopted a cold and hard expression as he continued to fight back against the _Guren_. "It doesn't matter what I think." Gino replied to his opponent's inquiry, causing surprise to appear on Kallen's face from the seriousness and intensity of it. "What matters is what _you_ and _yours _have chosen to do...!"

In a sudden burst of movement, the _Tristan_ spun its poleaxes and knocked the _Guren_'s knife away, before charging back on the offensive. "You could have stayed in whatever haven you made for yourselves!" Gino shot back as he forced his attack, all the while drowning out the disdain for his own words. "You could have kept yourselves hidden and focused on living in the face of this madness! You could have rode out this entire war and lived in peace without anyone else knowing you were still there!"

Kallen could only growl in response as she deflected the poleaxe blades with her fork knife, at the same time trying to grasp the _Tristan _with her right arm, but never making contact. "But no! Instead you chose to fight!" Gino stated as he stepped up his attacks. "And now that you have openly attacked Britannian soldiers on Britannian soil, you are once again the enemy of an empire that rules over half the world! You threw away whatever you had left from the Devastation when you chose to attack our capital!"

He made another swipe with his poleaxe, but instead of hitting the _Guren_ with the blades as Kallen moved to defend against, Gino smashed the golden pole of his weapon into the _Guren_'s side and knocked it aside, before twirling his weapon around to perform an overhead impalement. Kallen in turn barely deflected this by angling her knife against the pole, effectively hooking her own blade under the _Tristan_'s and holding it there. She then attempted to fire her slash harken point blank, but the _Tristan_ simply caught it with its left hand. And when she again attempted to grasp the _Tristan_ with her surger, Gino turned his knightmare away and let the claw move past, while bringing up his left leg and planting the foot against the wrist, clamping and holding the claw down. From there, his unit's ruby colored eye cameras became fixed on the _Guren_'s sapphire ones, giving the impression that the _Tristan _was glowering down at its opponent.

"If you and the other Black Knights die here..." Gino continued, yet again pushing back the repulsion he felt inside himself. "...it won't be because of whatever Britannia did to Japan, it will be because you were _stupid enough_ to come out here and restart a war from years ago, all in the name of what you _lost_ instead of what you _still have_!"

At that, Gino broke the "holds" on the _Guren_'s arm and harken just as Kallen ripped her knife away from the _Tristan_'s poleaxe, and with another charge and battle cry on Kallen's part, the two continued on.

* * *

Another swarm of black energy beams shouted out from the _Mordred_'s body launchers and rained down on C.C., forcing her to put her _Seisoukenshiki_ into evasion while continuing to return fire with her linear rifle. As expected, the _Mordred_ responded by raising its front "Blaze Luminous", encasing the entire frame in a green diamond shaped constructed that deflected the shots easily, all the while moving away to a new position where it could renew its attack. In response, C.C. throttled her machine to full power and attempted to use the opportunity to draw in close, but the Knight of Six was quick enough to fire off another barrage that again forced her back and into evasion, performing a line of aerial maneuvers to avoid becoming overwhelmed by the black and red outlined beams. _You're tougher than I expected you to be._ C.C. thought in the midst of her maneuvering. An anticipating smirk soon formed on her face. _Let's see if you can keep up as well..._

Moving through the homing beams at the _Seisoukenshiki_'s far greater than average top speed, she returned fire with ease. The _Mordred_ again raised its shield, but that didn't matter to C.C. as she moved right behind the purple giant, her linear rifle brought to bear. However, right as she pulled the trigger, the _Mordred_ twisted around to its side and reformed its "Blaze Luminous", deflecting the shot intended for the cockpit, before turning full return fire from its chest launchers. Too close to maneuver around them, C.C. threw up her own radiant wave shield and let the beams impact against it.

From there _Mordred_ continued to fired off its homing beams pumping shot after shot against the shield. C.C. felt annoyance rise up within her as she found herself being forced to abandon her defense and go for evasion again, almost wishing that she hadn't taken out the _Mordred_'s stark hadron cannon so that it didn't have to use the same weapons over and over again. She especially felt her heart catch when one of the beams nearly struck her linear rifle, the only weapon that she knew was capable of penetrating the _Mordred_'s armor; at that point, she realized she couldn't keep fighting this thing forever and in a test of endurance between the two machines, the Knight of Six's power oriented steed would easily outlast her own mobility oriented unit. As such, she repeated her original tactic, moving as close as she could and firing more shots, and again the _Mordred_ was forced to reengage its shield, thus allowing C.C. to escape the barrage and return to her own offensive, which was signified when she managed to spear the _Mordred_'s left arm with a linear shot, the limb detonating not long after.

In response to the loss of its limb, the _Mordred_'s emerald eyes flared up, as if signifying fury at being wounded for a second time, while in its cockpit Anya's own eyes gleamed with certain malice toward her opponent. "Die." she said simply and emotionlessly, before arcing up on her control sticks and then tapping both rollerball triggers.

In a swift motion, the assault knightmare launched up into the air, faster than C.C. thought it could move, and then began firing off its homing beams in rapid succession, a literal rain of black beams to fall upon the impetuous enemy knightmare. C.C. cursed at the sight of the incoming beams; she had not expected the _Mordred_ to be capable of _that_ either. With that she kicked the _Seisoukenshiki_'s air glide binder system to full power and zoomed off through the sky, the beams being unable to arch around tight enough to follow her. Even so, the purple knightmare only continued to spray out more firepower, and C.C. soon ended up being forced to climb and then descend again in order to keep from being struck. At one point she attempted to move at the _Mordred _from the side and get a shot into its right hip, but was unable to get a clear enough aim before having to evade another wave of beam fire. This happened again when she attempted to strike at the cockpit pod from overhead, in which the Britannian unit angled itself upward and shot another wave at her, again forcing her away.

"You really are persistent, even for a Round." C.C. managed to utter with some annoyance, at the same time starting to wish she had gone after the _Tristan_ instead and let Kallen or Tohdoh deal with this monstrosity. There was just something unsatisfying about fighting an opponent whose only real means of attacking was spamming large amounts of firepower and then ducking behind a shield whenever the return fire came. Such as it was when she ducked under the next barrage and swept around underneath the _Mordred_, where she moved to spear it directly through its pelvic area, likely the least armored portion of the whole knightmare. But again the _Mordred_ angled itself toward her and fired first, and C.C. grimaced as she threw her knightmare out of the line of fire, g-forces causing her strain. Unfortunately that strain was enough to cause her to pause for the briefest of moments, allowing one of the beams to strike against her own left arm, blowing away the sensor module mounted there and causing her whole knightmare to rock from the blast. Seeing its opponent finally incapacitated, albeit not for long, the _Mordred _moved in for the kill.

Then suddenly, the _Mordred_'s head turned toward its back while it threw up a "Blaze Luminous" shield to cover its left side, just as three linear rifle shots slammed into it. From the distance three more _Seisoukenshikis_ moved in at attack vector, their rifles continuing to blaze away shot after shot. "Leader!" Rachel called out as the trio flew around the _Mordred_.

Despite their assistance, C.C. felt herself frown softly. "I thought I ordered you to attack the main forces."

"We already dealt with most of the fifth generation types!" 1st Lieutenant Meisa Tsukiumi, Hannya Four, replied while she made her next attack and evaded the _Mordred_'s counter. "And it's not every day we get to take down a Round!"

"Besides, you shouldn't fight this kind of opponent by yourself Lead!" 1st Lieutenant Yume Katsuragi, Hannya Three, also sounded off while she attacked. "You're not immortal you know!"

It took some effort, but C.C. managed to hold herself back from rolling her eyes at that _very_ ironic statement. At the same time however, she wasn't unappreciative of her subordinates' aid; maybe it would actually be enough to bring down this particular Knight of the Round. "Move to _tessen_ formation and open up! Don't let it overwhelm you!" she ordered as she returned to the fight herself.

* * *

Sugiyama grimaced as he saw another _Akatsuki_ get cut down from enemy fire. In response to the death of a comrade, he turned a shot a rocket from his bazooka directly into the offending _Sutherland_'s side, obliterating the whole frame in one shot before flying by. Beside him, Inoue's _Jikisanshiyo _followed up by opening fire with its handgun, raining bullets into any Britannian knightmares in front of them and clearing a path to fly through, which several other Black Knight units followed upon with great speed.

Directly in front of them, Sugiyama watched in near desperation as the image of the _Avalon_'s orange hull became larger and larger in his main monitor. The enemy cruiser was still attacking the _Ikaruga_ at this point, and the _Ikaruga_ herself was obviously not holding out well against its bow cannon, evident of the smoke trail coming out from its starboard side. If left unattended, the Britannian cruiser would eventually shoot the Black Knight battleship out of the sky, but neither Sugiyama nor Inoue had any intention of leaving it unattended. Even so, Sugiyama could not get rid of the growing knot in his gut as he closed in onto the cruiser, looking more and more monstrous as it came into view; the memories of its passing over Tokyo Settlement eight years ago were bad enough, but he also had to contend with the fact that it was equipped with full "Blaze Luminous" shielding and more anti-air weaponry than an entire fortress. Needless to say, he had high doubts that he or his comrades would be able to do heavy damage, if _any _damage.

And yet again, he had to try. _They_ had to try, and the sight of the damaged _Ikaruga _was more the enough incentive for any of them.

"Move in and engage at will!" Sugiyama called out over the radio, giving the awaited command to the other _Akatsukis_ around him. As the Black Knight frames closed in on their single target, fire ignited from _Avalon_'s CIWS and missile ports, raining bullets and missiles into the paths of the attackers. Sugiyama put his unit into evasion, as did Inoue and many others, while those less fortunate were cut down in a matter of moments. At this, Both Black Knight commanders forced themselves to ignore the deaths, even as the number of flashes increased as they came closer to their target, instead focusing on damaging if not destroying their quarry.

Once his sensors indicated he was in range, Sugiyama brought up his bazooka and fired off a pair of shots into the _Avalon_'s side, only for both rockets to be repelled by a transparent green hexagon, while the nearest CIWS turrets shifted their aim to target him. Suppressing a growl in anger, Sugiyama had his _Jikisanshiyo _bank while simultaneously bringing up its radiant wave shield, deflecting the oncoming bullets while firing another group of shots from the bazooka. And yet again, what rockets managed to get past the CIWS barrage were immediately deflected by the "Blaze Luminous", as were Inoue's shots alongside his and the other attacks into the side.

Sugiyama grit his teeth at the sight of the explosions being repelled by the shield, then pushing his _Jikisanshiyo_ into a full horizontal climb. Two more _Sutherlands_ attempted to intercept him, but he cut them down with his handgun as he passed. A few moments later he was above the _Avalon_, looking down at its top hull, just as he fired more rockets. Again his shots were blocked by the cruiser's shields and again the counterattack came, this time in the form of streaking missiles. Sugiyama cursed and brought his handgun back online, firing sprays to cut down the missiles, but he was unable to destroy the last two with that barrage. Instead he went into a swooping dive just as they were about to impact and evaded them neatly, all the while using his newly gained momentum to continue his attack against the cruiser in a dive bomb maneuver.

Almost in a rhythm, Sugiyama tapped his trigger assembly repeatedly as he flew by the cruiser's top hull, sending rocket after rocket down into it. Yet no matter how many shots he fired the shield that encased the whole ship refused to give way, and the cruiser only continued its own attack against the Black Knights' mothership. The same went for the other Black Knight units' attacks, and it didn't help that the _Ikaruga_'s own fire was also being deflected, though this was partly due to the _Avalon_'s constant maneuvering around her and therefore rotating any damage done to its shielding. In desperation Sugiyama's eyes scanned his monitors, without moving too far away from the enemy vessel, to see if his sensors had picked up a crack or at least a weakpoint in the "Blaze Luminous" shielding, but he found nothing; the shields were losing power in different areas, sure, but not enough for his shots to make a difference.

"Is there no weakness to this thing!?" Sugiyama hollered as he continued his attack, managing to cause the mirror-like hexagon shield to remain visible momentarily. Unfortunately, he was so caught up in the ineffectiveness of his own attack that Sugiyama did not notice he had maneuvered too close to one of the CIWS emplacements, and before he realized his error a rain of bullet fire took off his right arm and the lower half of his knightmare. With alarms blaring, Sugiyama threw up his radiant wave shield again, but the continuous stream of fire eventually broke through and dug into his knightmare's torso. _"Damn it...!" _he cursed as he pulled the eject switch, moments before his knightmare exploded.

The only thing that kept his cockpit pod from being shot out of the air was Inoue's _Akatsuki_ swooping in, grabbing the pod, and then climbing away before the CIWS could shoot her down as well, and not without firing three more rockets of her own into the shield, even though the result was the same. Beside her, another fellow _Akatsuki _was cut down by the fire, and she snarled at the flash. "Nothing's getting through!" she called out, as she weaved around additional bullets and missiles fired at her. "And we're running out of time!"

No sooner than Inoue made that outburst did the _Avalon_ line up for another shot with its main cannon, sending another blast directly into the _Ikaruga_'s port side. The blast took out the launch catapult deck there and much of the ship's side armor, as well as causing the ship to list starboard from the shock. Fortunately the _Ikaruga_ managed to fire a barrage of HV shots to cause the _Avalon _to veer away before another shot could be fired, but the damage was still done.

Sugiyama turned away from the sight and closed his eyes to still his anxiety. _Is this going to be it for us...?_

* * *

**Pearl Harbor Naval Base  
County of Crusoe, Area 7 (Sandwich Islands), Holy Britannian Empire  
****April 11, 2025 a.t.b.**

With landspinners _grinding_ against the ground with enough force to leave heated tire marks, the _Lancelot _continued through the inferno that surrounded it, searching for its quarry within the flames. To and fro its head turned about every so often, casting its glowing emerald eyes from one direction to the other, while just as often its factsphere sensors deployed from their chest housings, scanning the immediate area and feeding data directly back to the cockpit monitors for the devicer's consideration. And less often did the white knightmare, seemingly expecting its enemy to leap out of the fire and shadows at any given moment, swing one of its maser vibration swords around in defensive motion, as if the frame itself were channeling the growing aggression and the ferocity of the one housed in its back pod. Cast against the flames, it would have been a frightening image, had there been anyone present to behold it.

The visage of Suzaku Kururugi was not much different from his knightmare's hellish image, yet still tapered down by the limits of his body. His eyes, while remaining fixed over his various monitors and control panels, looking for a sign or a hint at his quarries location obsessively, spoke of a strain in their gaze that Suzaku himself could not possibly have put into words. His breathing, labored from both combat and his wrath, came out in rapid yet forceful heaves, to the point that it seemed like each intake of oxygen and exhaling of carbon dioxide caused him pain within. His hands, wrapped around the control sticks of his loyal steed as they always were, seemed to gripped their respective mounts in a painful fashion of their own, where it appeared that if Suzaku could hold them any further, the sticks would only crumple and embed themselves within his palm and fingers. And if one looked at the Knight of Seven's face again, one would have seen how it was all covered with sweat and bruising from the still in progress battle, to the point that slight traces of bloodied scarring could be seen across Suzaku's left cheek and lower lip, while hints of exhaustion could be observed slowly coming upon his expression, circumventing the adrenaline and the inherent fury if only by the smallest amounts possible.

And yet, in spite of the pain and overexertion that was evident so clearly, the rage Suzaku felt within did all but eliminate his exhaustion and keep him focused and completely devoted to the slaying of his opponent. It wasn't just the memories of Lelouch's deeds from eight years ago that kept him in this battle now, but the pure bloodlust and desire to inflict pain upon him for those deeds that kept the Knight of Seven driven. He could almost _literally_ taste blood in his mouth, as well as feel his heart race and his body grow to near numbness with his want to make Lelouch suffer, to utterly destroy him and everything he stood for, while every inch of his mind and being became devoted to that single task. In that regard, whatever pain the Knight of Seven did feel came not from his physical wounds, but instead his opponent's withdrawal from the fight, as each moment that Suzaku was not attempting to dismantle the _Gawain _with his swords meant the inferno he felt within would remain unsatisfied, all the while his bloodlust grew like a starving man's hunger.

With that last thought, the rational side of Suzaku Kururugi knew an undeniable fact: he had at long last given into his own rage, and that if he remained in such a state it would not be long before his ever growing madness consumed him as Bismarck had warned him. Knowing this however, he could honestly say he no longer cared about it; as far as he was concerned now, there was no more reason to hold himself back, to pretend that his accumulated rage from eight years ago never existed and put on the air of the knight that upheld the name of his lost princess and his chosen country with honor and duty. Instead, as he was now, standing amongst fire and ruin and searching desperately for his cloaked foe, Suzaku existed solely to destroy his single enemy, and that enemy was Lelouch vi Britannia. And to fulfill that objective in this very night, the same objective he had failed to accomplish within the caverns of Kaminejima not long ago, he gladly surrendered himself to his anger and hatred, such that they would fuel and sustain him from then on.

_"Where are you Lelouch!"_ Suzaku bellowed, as he swung his right handed sword around, as if he had expected the _Gawain_ to leap out at him at that very moment. _"Come out and face me!"_

Only silence greeted him, though that was to be expected. Even so, Suzaku could _feel_ Lelouch was still out there, somewhere, watching and waiting for him to step into whatever trap he had set. If that were such the case, then Suzaku would be damned sure to draw him out first. _"Eight years!"_ he hollered, as the _Lancelot_ drove further through the fire. _"Eight damned years I had to play the part of your best friend, even when deep down I wanted to strangle you every time I saw you! I had to pretend you were innocent of it all: that you_ _never killed Euphie and tarnished her good name, or led my people to their deaths or caused Japan's destruction, even when deep down I could never forget your hand in any of it!"_

He twisted the _Lancelot_ around when he thought he saw a shadow move from behind a nearby patch of fire, but by the time his main camera was able to focus on it, he saw nothing. The sneer on his lips only deepened as a result. _"Do you know how hard it was for me to pretend, to act like none of it involved you!?"_ he glowered, continuing his search. _"And to hold myself back from killing you every time your back was turned!?"_**  
**  
Again silence answered him, but even so he knew Lelouch was listening to him. _"No more!"_ Suzaku declared with furious disposition. _"No more acts, no more charades! No more holding back and making believe it all never happened! _This_ time I will _finish_ you, just as I should have done that night, after I stood by and watched_ her _die!"_

As he took a breath, Suzaku unconsciously grasped at the knight pendent on his pilot suit, as he began to speak again. _"I said before I am no longer worthy of the mantle of Euphemia's chosen... That there is too much blood on my hands for me to ever hold her name again...!" _His fingers grew tighter around the pendent, until it felt as though its edges would pierce through his pilot suit and cut into his skin. _"But even so, here and now, I will call out her name one last time and carry out my final duty as her knight!"_

Sensing some nearby movement after uttering that last word, Suzaku soon brought the _Lancelot_ around to a nearby hangar, one of the few that somehow remained intact, scanning the inside and around it for his prey, all the while continuing on. _"I will avenge her, and those who died with her, so that they may finally find peace, knowing their murderer is now vanquished at long last! The mistake of Kaminejima will not be repeated a second time!"_

The _Lancelot_ again deployed its factsphere sensors, but they could not pick anything up beside the surrounding blaze. Feeling his fury grow even further as a result, Suzaku shouted once more. _"So I say again, come out and face me, Lelouch...no, Zero...!"_ he bellowed. _"...so that I can finally send you to hell, where you belong!"_

_"Suzaku...!"_ a familiar voice soon spoke out from the darkness. Suddenly the threat indicators to the Knight of Seven's right started screaming as his sensors picked up on the _Gawain_'s signal again, right as it came crashing through the side of the hangar and burst through the flames like a demon out of the inferno. Just as Suzaku registered its entry, the _Gawain_ fired twin streams of hadron fire at him, to which he just barely evaded by reversing his landspinners and dashing out of their wake. In turn, the _Gawain_ continued its attack by reactivating one of its "Spathas" and charging forward again, making a mighty swipe that again the smaller _Lancelot _just managed to evade by skating back, the golden blade just passing the white knightmare's faceplate.

Just as Suzaku was about to line up for a counterattack however, his auditory equipment picked up the sounds of explosions from above him, followed by a beeped warning from his sensors that the ceiling was about to collapse right on top of him. Suzaku sneered at that; _of course_ Lelouch would have used the brief respite to set up a trap. However, Suzaku was not deterred, as he easily zigzagged around the falling debris with a practiced hand. If anything, he felt more annoyance at this tactic than he felt wrath. _"Is that the best you can do Lelouch!?"_ he called out over the radio, as his eyes weaved back and forth between his monitors to keep track of the debris. _"Repeating the same tricks you used back in Japan!? I thought you were more devious than that!"_

"_More_ than you know." came the sneering reply, and all at once Suzaku realized what was about to happen next. Coming straight from behind him, the _Gawain_ moved in and reached out with its right hand, grasping the _Lancelot_ by its head before the Knight of Seven could counter. This was followed by the larger knightmare literally driving its former brethren's _head first _directly into the hangar floor, the physical shock of which almost caused Suzaku to regurgitate, before pulling the knightmare back up and throwing it backward, causing it to fall on its cockpit pod a fair distance away.

It was only when Suzaku managed to regain his focus did he see the image of the black and gold titan charging at him again, this time both "Spathas" drawn for the kill. Out of desperation Suzaku triggered the thruster pods on his float system and had the _Lancelot_ jet back, again just barely dodging the _Gawain_'s cross slash attack, but not without leaving an 'X' shaped gash in the middle of its chest plate.

Fury intensified, Suzaku roared like an angered lion as he reoriented his knightmare back upright and prepared to charge back at the _Gawain_, both MVS ready to turn his adversary into black shavings. Unfortunately for him however, he was once more _exactly_ where Lelouch had planned for him to end up, signified when Lelouch brought up his crown shaped detonator once again and tapped the top red button. A second later, another line of explosive charges sounded off, all of which having been previously placed where the _Lancelot _had just landed; as a result, the collective explosions shook the white knightmare to its very sakuradite core and stunned Suzaku momentarily.

And again Suzaku recovered his vision just in time to see the _Gawain_ charging right at him through the flames, only this time instead of the larger knightmare attacking him with a "Spatha", it continued its charge until it _body slammed _the white knightmare and sent it through the hangar wall, cockpit first. The magnetic restraints in Suzaku's pilot chair managed to keep him from banging his head into his control panel from the recoil, but they did little to prevent Suzaku's body from being thrown around the confined space, and it was all he could do just keep himself conscious, let alone grounded to the present, especially when the blow had also caused his head to slam back into his chair with enough force to send any normal pilot into unconsciousness. Suzaku managed to keep himself from blacking out from that last part, but he could not keep himself from coughing out blood from blow.

In turn, the _Gawain_ continued its charge until _Lancelot_ was firmly slammed into a nearby power station, which had originally been meant as a recharging center for vehicles and was still standing even amidst the blaze. Once the _Lancelot_ was firmly planted against the station's center, the _Gawain_jumped back and let loose both hadron cannons, causing station erupted into a nova-like blast, one that easily encompassed the white knightmare and much of the surrounding area. It then followed this up by launching its slash harkens into an adjacent hangar just behind the epicenter, then retracting them and causing the entire side of that hangar to rip and fall on top of the newly born flames, engulfing them entirely in a pseudo-burial.

For the briefest of moments, Lelouch looked over that rubble and wondered if his strategy had worked; that he had finally beaten the _Lancelot_ and Suzaku with one of his more _basic _schemes. But then that question was soon answered when his threat indicator came to life again.

A new explosion soon sounded from the center of the rubble, followed by the _Lancelot_ emerging out from the blaze similarly to the _Gawain_ moments earlier, emerald eyes flared with vehemence and looking as "pissed off" as any knightmare could appear. Despite its survival however, Lelouch's plan had proven relatively successful; it was now missing its left arm below the elbow and looking far worse for wear than before, while much of its frame was pitted with cracks, gashes. However, one noticed that while the sides of the frame were damaged, as well as having lost much of its white and gold paint scheme, the center remained relatively undamaged from the attack. It was only in that instance Lelouch remembered the _Conquista_'s torso mounted "Blaze Luminous" and how it covered the entire front of the machine, causing him to bite back a curse at _that _overlooked detail as he went on the defensive.

_"Clever Lelouch, but you'll have to do better than that!"_ Suzaku screamed as he charged and brought his left foot mounted "Blaze Luminous" online before executing a blurred roundhouse kick. The attack came so fast that Lelouch was unable to block it in time, and the resulting kick immediately smashed into the _Gawain_'s left shoulder, taking out the hadron cannon mounted there. Lelouch attempted to counter this by firing his right hadron cannon at point blank, but Suzaku responded by firing his left hip mounted slash harken into the cannon's maw, causing it to detonate prematurely and destroy the cannon, though sacrificing the harken in the process.

_"No more hadron cannons!"_ Suzaku growled as he continued his assault. As if responding to the "pain" of its wounds and Suzaku's insolence, the _Gawain_'s eyes seemingly ignited with crimson while its left arm Spatha Luminous rose up to strike back. However, Suzaku easily saw that attack coming, and instantly brought his remaining MVS around to slash into the "Spatha's" base generator on the forearm, causing the blade to flicker out of existence.

Grimacing from the additional damage, Lelouch returned fire with both sets of slash harkens, sending the finger-like rocket propelled anchors forward. Only the sight of the _Gawain_ bringing its arms up gave Suzaku enough warning to evade in time by climbing back up into the sky, as Lelouch's previous gambit had also disabled his main "Blaze Luminous" projector as well. A moment later, the _Gawain_ gave chase and smashed its remaining "Spatha" against the _Lancelot_'s singular MVS, the swordfight between them continuing.

Though reduced to one blade, a few harkens and their respective shielding each, the two continued their melee duel as both their knightmares spiraled back into the air at great speed, in spite of the great amount of damage done to either machine. Yet even with Suzaku's rage continuing to energize him, it was not long before Lelouch, once more through his instinctive knowledge of his former friend's fighting style, was able to regain the upper hand in spite of the Knight of Seven's blind rage. Almost like a matador against a raging bull, Lelouch dodged or deflected the _Lancelot_'s attacks with practiced grace, while at the same time making his own counterattacks against the white knightmare's least guarded areas, namely the left side. Though he was still unable to keep up with Suzaku's performance level, especially when the latter was in a berserker state such as he was, Lelouch was still able to cut off the _Lancelot_'s left shoulder pauldron as well as nearly claim the left wing of the float system during the exchange of cuts and slashes.

Even so, Suzaku was far from letting himself get outdone, and in the presence of his adversary's better coordinated attacks and counters, he soon step up his offensive and launched an even greater volume of attacks with whatever remaining weapons he had available. When it became apparent to Lelouch that Suzaku was going to overwhelm him with sheer volume and ferocity alone, he brought the _Gawain_'s leg up and let loose a massive kick into the _Lancelot_'s side, one that caused it superconductor drive to flicker in power. As a result, the _Lancelot_ temporarily lost its float system, and so dropped out of the sky again and landed in a crater back on the compound of Ford Island. With only milliseconds to spare before Suzaku recovered, Lelouch launched the _Gawain_ downward, ready to plant his knightmare's right foot up right onto the _Lancelot_'s head and crush the entire upper body in one blow. Unfortunately however, he wasn't quick enough, and Suzaku managed to raise his right arm and engage the "Blaze Luminous" in time to deflect Lelouch's attack, though the _Gawain _continued to hold its foot against the shield thereafter.

"You've really fallen, Suzaku...!" Lelouch stated with a mixture of disgust, anger and recognition, all the while he continued to put more strength into the _Gawain_'s foot, as if he were going to drive the entire _Lancelot _into the concrete. "I always knew that there was something broken with you, ever since I first 'met' you upon your ascension to the Knight of Seven... But now I see just how far separated you've become, both from my friend and the man Euphie loved!"

Suzaku glowered from Lelouch speaking _her_ name once again. "So what if I have!?" the Knight of Seven growled, trying to throw the _Gawain_'s foot away, but failing to bring enough strength into the _Lancelot_'s arm to do so. "What difference does it make to the great Zero if his enemy has 'fallen'!?"

"Damn it Suzaku, don't you see what you're becoming!? Don't you see how you're being consumed by your own anger and hatred!?" Lelouch shot back in near equal fury, again cursing his former friend's stubbornness. "Back in Japan, and even Africa, you always fought with calm composure, always remaining in control of yourself and never letting emotion overwhelm you in battle!

"But look at you now!" Lelouch's tone heightened as he continued. "Throwing away that composure as well as your compassion, while letting your blind wrath overwhelm and control you! No longer caring about your comrades or your friends, while only carrying out destruction like that which destroyed your home country!" he shouted, before looking back with a streak of fear in his eyes. "How is that any different from a monster from a fairy tale!? The kind that exists only to be destroyed by the noble knight in the end!?"

That single line of words brought back the memory of his encounter with Bismarck. However, instead of feeling the discomfort as he did back then, Suzaku found himself uncaring toward the Knight of One's words or Lelouch's in the present. This was only signified further when the fury deepened in Suzaku's expression. "And I say again, _what does it matter!_"

Then with a massive push, the _Lancelot_ threw the _Gawain_'s foot off its shield, and Lelouch responded by reversing his landspinners as the white knightmare got back up moved to strike with its sword. Both blades clashed as the duel continued yet again on ground level. "You said it best Lelouch! For all the gentleness and compassion I held in the past, I accomplished _nothing_ with any of it!" Suzaku bellowed as he charged. "So what good is it for me to hold onto them, especially against someone like _you_!"

Lelouch tried to respond to that, but Suzaku stepped up his attacks afterward, and he was forced to concentrate on defending against them. _"I will not be held back like I was in Japan!" _Suzaku ranted on as he made one sword strike after another. "If my compassion will only weigh me down, I will cast it aside! And if my fury will drive me forward, then I will gladly give into it!"

The _Lancelot_ then leapt up into the air to perform a downward slash that would have cut straight down the middle of the _Gawain_, but Lelouch was quick enough to reach his knightmare's left arm out and form an ADF shield to deflect the white knightmare's attack. "Even if I must sacrifice my very _being_ to see any change brought to this world...!" Suzaku continued to bellow as he shot around to the _Gawain_'s left side in an attempt to cut it at the hip, only for Lelouch to jump back before his blade could land. "...or just to destroy _you_, _then I will do it!_"

At long last, a slash got through, leaving a deep downward gash through the _Gawain_'s left eye, ironically mirroring Lelouch's own wound, much to Suzaku's disgust as he forced back the memories of that occurrence from his mind. _"I will leave my weaknesses behind and become a true monster if that is what it takes!" _Suzaku declared as he continued his attack.

Lelouch only felt his own wrath toward Suzaku grow as he heard those words, the words of a man that had sold himself over to darkness. Such as it was symbolized by the glare in his eyes taking on similar characteristics of pure fury and his voice taking on similar bellowing qualities to what Suzaku's had already developed, all the while the _Gawain_'s remaining eye flashed with equal vehemence. _"You idiot!"_ he cried back as he began his renewed counterattack, charging back at the _Lancelot_. _"Are you even listening to yourself!? Can you really not see!?"_

Suzaku's only reply was to roar back and bring his sword to deflect the _Gawain_'s attack, then follow back up with his own.

* * *

**Britannian air cruiser **_**Avalon**_**  
Pacific Ocean  
April 11, 2025 a.t.b.**

Talia watched with inward satisfaction as another blast erupted from the Black Battleship's side, all caused by the latest VARIS attack, much to the collective jubilance of the rest of her bridge crew. In response, the Black Battleship almost visibly shuddered from the attack and attempted to veer off from the line of fire, all the while returning fire with its remaining HV cannons and a spray of missiles. A spirited defensive effort, but proven utterly futile when the HV shots exploded harmlessly against the Britannian cruiser's shielding like those before it and the missiles were cut out of the air by the cruiser's CIWS emplacements. The _Avalon _continued its attack from there, resulting in additional damage to the enemy battleship.

Despite her own disposition toward the intolerable, obsessive little man, Talia had to admit that Lloyd Asplund had really come through with this new invention of his, even if it was just an oversized, ship mounted version of the _Lancelot_'s primary firearm. On paper it functioned like any other VARIS based weapon, but with its increased in size the VARIS cannon also gained a great increase in power, allowing it to shoot projectiles at even faster velocities than an HV cannon and over a much larger range as well. Yet besides these things, the increase in power also led to _another_ innovation: a far denser MSV particle encasement around each shell at firing point, which combined with the aforementioned velocity allows the projectiles to literally _pierce _through nearly every known form of energy shielding. This alone made the VARIS cannon perhaps the most innovative weapon ever created in the modern era, such that some, including its creator, believe it to be even more powerful than the hadron cannon. Needless to say, Talia herself had originally been skeptical of the claim, but now she had to admit that while the cannon had not taken out its current target in one shot, it was in its own way far more destructive.

Of course, the cannon's ability to circumvent energy shielding had also made it one of Britannia's most secret weapons to date, such that while the _Avalon _was currently the only ship to be equipped with it, Talia had been under strict orders to only utilize the weapon when permission from High Command had been authenticated. By using it now, she had flatly went against that order, but at this point Talia did not care, as the survival of her ship and crew came first before anything else, including orders from rear echelon officers. Besides, the order was originally meant to ensure that the EU stayed in the dark about the cannon's existence, and while the enemy being fought in this battle were indeed worthy opponents to contend with, they certainly weren't of the European Armed Forces. Not that it would have made a difference anyway.

"Hard to port!" Talia instinctively called out as she saw the enemy battleship coming about again in an attempt to brings it hadron cannons to bare. Instantly the _Avalon_ tilted to the left and veered off from its attack run, while the cruiser's HV cannons sounded off in place of her formerly secret weapon, ensuring that the battleship would not be able to turn after her. Meanwhile the _Southampton_ moved in from the battleship's opposite side and fired off her own cannons and missiles at the behemoth, taking additional pressure off the _Avalon _while working over the enemy ship's starboard shields. This effectively sandwiched the battleship between the two Britannian ships, and while its shields held to the conventional weapon attacks like they had done throughout the battle, though it was obvious that this was only a small delay from the inevitable.

In response to being caught between the Britannian cruiser and destroyer, the battleship turned the bulk of its firepower upon the _Southampton_, and under a concentrated barrage its bow "Blaze Luminous" began to falter. Naturally the destroyer moved to ascend over the battleship to evade, but it wasn't able to do so without taking some damage to its bow, costing it one of its HV cannons and chunks of its nose area and launch deck. A timely spray of vertically launched missiles from the battleship's part caused additional damage to the ventral hull as well, nearly taking out underside bridge module in the process. Talia could not keep herself from looking up at the destroyer as it emerged with battle damage, even if it wasn't nearly as damaged as their quarry.

_Resisting to the last, huh?_ Talia thought as the _Southampton _swept away over her own ship as well, her lips folding into a grim frown as she saw the smoke trailing from struck parts of the hull. Her eyes then angled back on the Black Battleship once more, where they regained their predatory nature. "Bring us around to their stern, flank speed!"

A moment later the _Avalon_ pitched forward at great speed as Henry maneuvered her around the enemy battleship's fire, bringing the cruiser to its opponent's rear once more. Seeing this, the battleship attempted to evade by turning starboard, but the _Avalon_ was again much more maneuverable, and it didn't take long for the Britannian airship to reorient itself along the battleship's backside. Talia could only suppress a scowl as she gazed out at the black warship's vulnerable aft from the bridge monitor. "Fire!"

* * *

**Black Knights air battleship **_**Ikaruga**_**  
Pacific Ocean  
April 11, 2025 a.t.b.**

Another blast rocked the entire _Ikaruga_, causing the lights and electronics in the bridge to flicker in and out from the resulting power fluctuations. Needless to say, panic ensured. "We've lost power on decks five through eight!" somebody shouted out in warning. "Shield generators three and six are red lining!"

"HV cannon eight has been destroyed! Damage reported in engine room!" another shouted out, just as another shot slammed into the _Ikaruga_'s aft. Sparks flew from one area of the bridge and a nearby console exploded, one that had thankfully not been manned at that moment.

"Continue evasive maneuvers!" Minami ordered, forcing himself further back into his chair as yet another shot blasted into the ship, causing a section of the bridge ceiling to explode from the power shock, wiring falling out soon after. The main monitor also flickered from the shock, partially blurring the image of the _Avalon _at their stern. "And bring us about! We have to get them on our bow!"

"It's no good Colonel! They're too maneuverable; I can't shake them off our backs!" Shima called up from the helm section as he struggled to keep the ship under control.

The bridge again shook from another shockwave, causing Ohgi to speak up this time. "Contact the _Akagi_ and _Hiei _and recall them to our position!"

Mutsuki only shook her head in frustration as she gazed over her console. "Our long-range array is down! I can only establish short-range communication!"

"Can you contact Zero?" Ohgi demanded as the bridge shook from another shot.

The _Ikaruga_'s communications operator again shook her head. "Negative! I'm not reading the _Gawain_'s position!"

Ohgi felt himself swallow as his options drained away one after the other. _We can't use Raikous at this range, and our Gefjun missiles would hurt us as well as them._ Another rumbling, another nearby explosion. _Damn it Kaname, think!_

An internal communication circuit suddenly beeped open. "Engine Room to Bridge! We just lost the main drive system!"

"What about the secondaries!" Minami demanded without pause.

"They're engaged...!" the engineer on the other side replied, as another shot struck the ship and caused it to rock. "...but I don't know how long they'll hold!"

At that, Minami looked back at Ohgi, and only to him and away from his crew did he show the darkeness in his own gaze. Ohgi had to fight himself from reflecting that look while providing a stable answer to Minami's unspoken question. "They will not be looking to take prisoners." Ohgi stated, again finding his words alien to his ears for their calm and collectedness. "We go down fighting."

Nodding grimly, Minami turned back to the rest of his crew and returned to barking orders. "Angle the bow toward the _Southampton_!" he commanded. "Prepare to redirect all available power to the hadron cannons!"

* * *

C.C.'s felt her teeth grit together as she and her fellow Hannya Squadron pilots continued firing their linear rifles, sending more hypersonic shells sailing at the _Mordred_ while weaving in and out around their opponent, taking advantage of their knightmares' superior mobility and at the same time attempting to find an opening in the Knight of Six's defense. Unfortunately however, the _Mordred_'s "Blaze Luminous" was still enough to deflect their shots, and every small pause on any one of their parts was followed upon by a barrage of homing beams. This was the immediate case for C.C. herself, to which she put her knightmare into overdrive and spiraled past the beam waves, one after the other, until she gained another clear shot at the _Mordred _itself, albeit still not quick enough on the draw to get past its shield.

Yet despite the lack of damage done to her knightmare since losing the stark hadron cannon, Anya was far from unaffected by those strange units' continuous attacks. She was sweating profusely now, caused from her body's own trembling and the heightened beating of her heart. Adrenaline was now streaming through her body, causing her senses to intensify to a level beyond what she was used to as well as forcing her, driving her to continue fighting. And her breathing, usually a calm and composed function on her part, was now coming in long, rapid cycles, to the point that she could literally taste her own body heat in the cramped confines of the _Mordred_'s cockpit. All this occurred while she continued to attack and defend against her opponents, whose names and faces she did not know, yet were skilled enough to drive her into exerting herself far beyond the amount of effort she usually put into battle.

One in particular was proving to be more skilled than the other, which Anya suspected had been the one she had been fighting up to the point the other three had shown up. Unlike the new additions however, something in her felt a sense of familiarity with that unit, as if she somehow recognized its piloting style. But of course, that was impossible, or at least that's what she told herself as her knightmare continued to be hammered upon.

Soon enough another spray of homing beams lanced out from the _Mordred_, once again putting C.C. on the evasive while her subordinates moved in at different angles to support. The assault oriented knightmare responded to these by firing additional beams at all of them, sending the Hannya knightmares back on the evasive as well. Immediately C.C. saw her opportunity, and so reached her left arm down to her right hip, where a hatch on her right hip binder open and revealed the hilt of one of the _Seisoukenshiki_'s short bladed katen yaibatou, which the specialized _Akatsuki _drew as it charged.

"I'm moving in close!" C.C. shouted out to her subordinates as she put power into her binders. Far faster than a normal _Akatsuki_ could manage, the _Seisoukenshiki_ shot through the fire, chain blade aglow, and moved to strike the _Mordred_ at close-range while the other three regrouped. At first the _Mordred_ remained where it was, as Anya believed its attempt to cut its armor would be no more successful than those who had already tried. That changed however when the specialized knightmare somersaulted around its hulking opponent, whirled around, and attempted to make a cut at one of the small float system wings on either side of the cockpit. Anya's eyes widened in horror at that; while the cockpit itself had the same amount of armor protection as the rest of the knightmare, the float system was much more vulnerable. As such, she quickly had the _Mordred _fly forward, the enemy's resulting slash coming short, before the larger knightmare twisted around to again fire more homing beams.

"So you can dodge after all." C.C. commented, before firing more shots, forcing the _Mordred_ to raise its shield again. Then with certain grace she charged again and slammed her still drawn katen yaibatou against the emerald shield that encompassed the entire frame. Sparks flew as the chainsword grinded against the energy shield, the _Seisoukenshiki_'s mono-eye staring directly into the _Mordred_'s twin eye cameras as she continued her attack. "You're just full of surprises, aren't you...?"

And then, before Anya could reply or C.C. could follow up on that comment, both suddenly felt a psychic wave wash over them with the force of a tsunami. What sounded like a woman screaming echoed in the background, and their respective visions became immersed with flashing colors, causing C.C.'s gaze to turn up into the air in unrelenting shock while her hair parted to reveal her Code, which was now aglow. _What...?_

Suddenly feeling as though her head were about explode, Anya's hands retracted from her controls and clenched the sides of her forehead, her eyes now alight with horror as various images flashed through her conscious mind. Images of what appeared to be Lelouch as a child in various scenes, the first of him standing in front of a rose garden, while another showed him running around a meadow with his sister, still alive at that time, running ahead of him, and then another showed the two with a much younger Princess Euphemia hosting a tea party. There were also scenes of other people as well, such as a group of shocked noblewomen looking up in horror while a shadow of a knightmare loomed over them, the tearful forms of Lelouch and Nunnally at their feet, while another showed a much younger Emperor Charles reaching out with a gloved hand, and another showing a child with long blonde hair aiming a machine gun toward her line of sight...

"What...what is this...!" Anya let out as the images continued to erupt through her mind. They came and went without control, experiences from a life and perspective that wasn't hers overflowing into her mind, and no matter how much she struggled she could not hold them back.

In her own cockpit, C.C. also saw the images come and go from her mind, but unlike her enemy, she immediately realized their significance. _"So, this is where you've been all this time...!" _she called out through her own mind as the shadowed image of a black haired woman in an orange gown appeared before her, looking toward her from a field of light.

And then upon that image materializing, the pressure increased their flow tenfold, causing Anya to scream out from the intensity, before it all came to a head with her losing consciousness. Without her control, the _Mordred_'s shield disengaged as did its altitude control, and the whole knightmare dropped from the sky. C.C. could only watch in uncharacteristic shock as the knightmare disappeared through the clouds below them, likely to fall into the sea unless some form of control were taken before impact.

Now alone again, C.C. found herself panting and feeling overwhelmed, the psychic backlash still linger in her mind even though the images had long since ceased. _Of all the things I thought I would see..._ she thought, as she touched a hand to her Code. _I never thought I would end up finding_ you_ out here...!_

"Hannya Lead, are you alright!" Rachel stated as her unit fell next to C.C.'s and reached a hand out to its commander's shoulder, while Yume and Meisa's units remained on standby.

C.C. blinked a few times to refocus before responding. "I'm here Hannya Two."

"What happened?" Rachel inquired, her unit's mono-eye staring down at where the _Mordred_ fell. "You and the _Mordred_ froze in place for almost a whole minute and then the _Mordred_just stopped altogether."

"I don't know." C.C. lied, slowly rubbing her head to bring the last of the pain away.

"Lead, the _Ikaruga_!" Yume's voice suddenly shouted out over the comm.

At that, both C.C. turned her knightmare's head to "look" at the direction that her sensors displayed the _Ikaruga _act, and all at once her expression went from dazed to grim as she beheld the damage done to the Black Knights' flagship. This was not helped by the fact her long-range sensors, as well as those of her subordinates, soon picked up upon the growing amount of damage done to the ship and soon established a readout on her main monitor.

"This is_..._!" Rachel let out a horrified curse as she read the amount of damage. The other two Hannya pilots held similar looks of despair.

While C.C.'s own expression remained poker faced, inside she felt the same sentiments. _We really could go down this time._she thought grimly. "Let's go."

With that simple command, the four knightmares took off toward the battling warships at maximum velocity.

* * *

The _Tristan_ again brought down its poleaxe blade onto the _Guren_'s knife blade, driving the red knightmare back further in the sky. Kallen ground her teeth and had her knightmare ascend upward, firing a radiant wave stream as she did only for the _Tristan_ to dodge, transform and give chase. Soon enough the Knight of Three over came her and swept in from the side, showering the _Guren _with fire from his knightmare's machine cannons, forcing Kallen to perform even greater evasions to avoid additional damage.

"I'm not playing around anymore...!" Gino called out as he charged, transforming the _Tristan_ back into knightmare mode, redrawing his poleaxe and moving to bringing a blade down into the _Guren_'s back. The _Guren_ responded by flipping backward and knocking the poleaxe back with a well placed kick, then extending its claw to ensnare the _Tristan_ in an inverted position. The Knight of Three, however, was more or less used to that tactic by now, and counted by knocking the _Guren_away with the pole portion of his weapon again. "This battle is going to end soon, and I'm going to make sure you're either a captive or a casualty when it does!"

Kallen only snarled in annoyance to her opponent as she reoriented the _Guren_ and shot back, attempting another knife slash only for the _Tristan_ to deflect her blow and then swing its main weapon around to counterattack. The strike was prevented when she reached her right arm up and engaged the surger, the resulting radiation funnel acting as an effective deflector against the blade. That didn't stop Gino however, who repeated his opponent's action and brought his knightmare's right leg up, knocking away the claw and then spinning the poleaxe around again to catch the _Guren _with the opposite blade. Only a reflexive parry with her fork knife kept Kallen from losing her units head from the resulting flash, but the force was enough that she was again knocked back.

"You have nowhere to run and nowhere to hide." Gino spoke again, his tone cold, serious and totally devoid of its original lightheartedness. As he spoke, the _Tristan_ raised its poleaxe again and charged, continuing its attacks against the evading _Guren_. "Your forces are routed, your mothership about to be destroyed and any allies you may have are too far away to provide support."

The _Guren_ attempted a spray shot with its surger, but Gino burst into action immediately when he caught glimpse of the metal rods folding out onto the claw, banking around the _Guren_ and moving to bifurcate it in a single cut. Kallen was just as reactive however, jetting forward to avoid the cut, then spinning her machine a full one hundred eighty degrees and firing out her right arm, only for Gino to jump around it. "Meanwhile, our ships are still in the air, and Prince Schneizel's reinforcements are due to arrive any minute. Once they're here, you will be completely overwhelmed." He dove in and spun his poleaxe into a series of slashes, forcing the _Guren _back further.

"You're even more annoying than you were five minutes ago...!" Kallen responded with disdain as she held her knife in place again, both knightmares struggling to overcome their respective opponent in an apparent contest of mechanical strength.

Gino returned in kind by putting more power into the _Tristan_'s float system, moving to drive the _Guren _down and open it up. "Don't you get it? There's no way you can save yourselves now!" he stated firmly as he put more power in, then releasing the hold and attacking. "It's over!"

As he called that last sentence out, the _Tristan_ swatted the _Guren_ away again and prepared to move in for the kill. For several moments, it seemed that the _Tristan_ was indeed going to finish its opponent off, as the _Guren_ was unable to reorient itself before the Britannian knightmare's strike. And yet, Kallen, as she caught sight of the _Tristan_ readying itself to deliver a hammer blow directly into her unit's torso, called out with all the energy she could muster. _"We haven't lost yet!"_

And upon that cry, the sigil of Geass blazed to life in her left eye.

With a twirl of her knife, Kallen deflected the poleaxe blades away from her just before they could impale, allowing her to fire her harken directly into _Tristan_'s head, smashing half its faceplate and knocking away the right golden horn, the recoil knocking the whole knightmare backward. Gino recovered from this however and charged again, feinting his first attack at the front only to move to strike at the cockpit from the right side.

As such, he was greatly surprised when Kallen, having long predicted his strategy, evaded his follow up attack by spinning the _Guren_ away and simultaneously bringing its grenade launcher to bare, where she fired a single round directly into the _Tristan_'s torso. The resulting explosion caused great damage to the knightmare as well as knocked out its altitude control, causing the whole frame to drop as Gino's head recoiled against his seat, letting out a pained "Geh!" and nearly blacking him out from the resulting physical shock.

From her perspective, Kallen could "see" that Gino was not yet defeated and was quickly recovering the _Tristan_ from its drop, but she didn't care about him anymore. Instead, she concentrated her power around the _Avalon_, which was now attacking the _Ikaruga_ directly from behind and remaining there in spite of the efforts to outmaneuver it, while the last _Caerleon_, as damaged as it was, moved back in to provide support against the battleship's port side. She inwardly flinched when she "saw" the exact amount of damage the _Ikaruga_ had taken, and even moreso from the fact the battleship's main drive was beginning to fail while on the bridge, Minami had just gave the order to bring the ship around for a "final" hadron cannon shot on the _Caerleon_, he and the rest of the crew clearly intent on going out in a blaze of glory. Like _hell _Kallen was going to let that happen.

As such, Kallen quickly turned her eye on the _Avalon_ herself, and in a matter of moments, found herself "gazing" into the inner workings of the cruiser, the very mechanics and power systems that allowed the cruiser to function now laid open for her to "see" and "behold". She saw the shells being loaded into its individual cannons before they were fired, the power conduits distributing energy from the main superconductor drive system all throughout the ship, and even the bridge crew's jubilation at the sight of the enemy warship wounded and in retreat from their attacks. But above all those things, she "saw" the "Blaze Luminous" shield that encompassed the vessel, which was otherwise invisible to the naked eye, as well as a certain key fact about them.

And it was through that realization that Kallen, now feeling certain hope rise from within her, "saw" how the Black Knights could still win.

"I'm not through yet!" Gino called out as the _Tristan_ shot back up into the sky, now transformed and ready to resume the battle. Seeing his approach, Kallen gunned her thrusters and shot toward the _Avalon_'s direction at the _Guren_'s maximum velocity.

"This is Rei Leader!" she called out over the Black Knights' main frequency. "I'm making a run on the _Avalon_! All available units cover me!"

A mixture of confusion and acknowledgement followed her call, but all the same her allies were quick to intercept the Britannian units that would have otherwise obstructed her. Only the _Tristan_ remained to pursue her, which soon fired its machine cannons in an attempted to knock out her air glide wing system, and in turn she evaded with pinpoint precision while maintaining velocity. Kallen sneered as she "looked back" toward the determined Gino in the _Tristan_'s cockpit, the expression showing he was deadset on following her to the end of the earth if necessary. _I _really _hate pushy guys..._

Intent on removing the distraction, she focused her Geass on finding a nearby friendly unit. Needless to say, it didn't take long before she "saw" one. "Rei Three!"

"Roger!" Charmelle replied as her _Guren Isshiki_ streaked past the _Guren_ and fell upon the _Tristan_ faster than most humans could even comprehend. Only a timely transformation on the _Tristan_'s part and the angling of its poleaxe kept the Zero Squadron unit's surger from reaching.

"Charmelle!" Gino called out in surprise as his former colleague engaged right where they had left off over Pendragon, letting out a battle cry as she drove him back. Before he realized it, the _Guren Nishiki_ was out of his range.

* * *

**Britannian air cruiser **_**Avalon**_**  
Pacific Ocean  
April 11, 2025 a.t.b.**

"Another knightmare's making a run at us from Sector Sigma Eight!" Sean warned as he looked over his screen, reading the data aloud. "It's a single unit, but...!" The shock soon became evident in his voice as he finished looking over the readout, then turning back toward Talia while speaking the next few words. "It's flying at three times the speed of the others!"

A sudden chill ran down Talia's spine at that description, and not just due to the fact only specialized knightmares like those piloted by the Knights of the Round were capable of the velocity described. Immediately she steeled herself before replying. "Put it up on the main viewer!" she ordered, grasping the arms of her chair as she looked up.

No more than a second later, the image of the charging knightmare became firmly displayed on the main screen, and almost instantly the crew became struck with shock by its design. But none were as instantly shocked as Talia, who despite her usual calm composure, could not keep the surprise and fear from dawning on her face at the enemy machine. Even if none of those gathered around her could recognize it, _she_ had been to Area 11 once upon a time, and therefore _she_ easily identified the _Guren_, the crimson armored beast with the oversized clawed right arm and the piercing sapphire eyes, as well as its pilot, the woman that had been renowned as the Red Dragoness and the Ace of the Elevens not so long ago.

And following that revelation, Talia at long last realized _who_ exactly she had been fighting all this time, _who_ Britannia _itself_ had been fighting all this time, causing her gut to clench and her fists to tighten. _Damn you Schneizel, you knew since the beginning, didn't you!_

She shook her head of the thought, as that was something she could bring up after the battle, before returning to command. "Maintain attack vector...!" she ordered out, in direct defiance of the nagging urge to call off her next shot at the battleship in the face of the charging red knightmare. "And focus all defensive fire on incoming bogey!"

"On just _one _knightmare!" Edward exclaimed in confusion, looking back from his station to make sure he heard that right.

"You heard my order!" Talia shouted back in turn, her eyes dead set on the single red unit, just as it was about to begin its own attack run on her ship. Though by all facts and logic the _Guren_ would not be any more effective against her ship and its defenses than its fellow Black Knights had been, an indescribable feeling in her gut told her that there was something different about this particular ace. Something that would make all the difference...

* * *

Kallen felt her eyes narrow and her heart quicken as she approached the Britannian cruiser at the best speed she could manage, all the while she focused her Geass around the entirety of the airship. She "saw" the various moving parts in the inner mechanics, as well as the electronics and circuitry. She "saw" the assorted crew members at their respective stations, working to perform their equally respective duties in the heat of the battle. She "saw" the bullets, weapons and shells loaded in the various gunnery platforms alongside the previously mentioned "invisible" hexagons that made up the "Blaze Luminous" shield. And perhaps most importantly, she "saw" into the _Avalon_'s bridge, where she could "see" the _Avalon_'s captain, a young, brown haired woman dressed in a blue Imperial Air Force uniform and bearing the rank tabs of a Colonel, shout orders to turn the entirety of the ship's defenses against her while maintaining the attack on the _Ikaruga_.

The latter was quickly followed upon as bullets began streaking toward the _Guren_'s, but with her Geass active and working in tandem with her natural reflexes and piloting skills, Kallen had little problems evading them as she maintained her own vector, despite the loss of stability from having only three functioning air glide wings. Like a hawk, she streaked around the bullets in a zigzag pattern, one that made it impossible for the _Avalon_'s targeting systems to get a clean shot on her yet allowing her to retain her course toward from the cruiser. Not once did her gaze leave the airship, nor did her Absolute Awareness veer away from the line of targets that now laid open before her.

Again through her Geass she watched as the different CIWS turrets open fired, from the bullets being discharged through the electromagnetic coils that lined the gun barrels to each new replacement bullet being shifted upward through into the firing chamber after a predecessor was fired. She "saw" the various inner mechanics of each turret perform their respective task toward firing round after round into the sky, along with the electrical parts that fed power and signals into the guns, "commanding" them to aim and fire in the first place. Yet even though the "sight" of these various components allowed her to track the firing point of each bullet and evade them at ease, it wasn't the guns themselves that gave Kallen the advantage she sought. Rather, it was the fact that, in order for the guns to fire, the "Blaze Luminous" in front of each turret had to be dropped in order to allow the bullets to pass.

Just like a fading light, she could see the previously invisible hexagons that made the full shield disappear whenever a gun port open fired, leaving the weapon with no obstacle in launching its payload, and yet leaving the weapon with no protection either. And not only the weapon, but the rest of the ship as well, as while the _Avalon_'s armor may have been thick enough to deflect bullets and HV shots, Kallen did not "see" any defense mechanism for energy weapons like her surger; even a single, short shot would travel quite far into the ship's hull, and do massive damage to its internal systems and power distribution network. At the same time however, each shot would have to be perfectly timed and aimed to get through the smaller than average target areas. Impossible targets for others, but not _her_.

_...you are one of the few that can perform "miracles" like me. _Lelouch's words from before echoed in her mind and memory as she blasted through the air, the _Avalon_'s image growing in her monitors, while her Geass continued to hover over the hexagon shaped openings in the shield.

"Lelouch..." she murmured as she drew closer, adjusting the settings of the _Guren_'s radiant wave surger to the appropriate settings before toggling a lock on one of her highlighted targets. Once her targeting sensors indicated that she was in firing range, she declared in a determined voice. "This is _my _miracle!"

In a split second, she reached the surger arm out and fired a single crimson beam that streaked across the sky and toward the cruiser. As she _knew_ would happen, the beam only continued past the "Blaze Luminous" line, blasted its way through a CIWS turret and further into the hull, causing a massive explosion that rocked the ship much like its attacks had done to the _Ikaruga_. From there, Kallen continued her attack, firing one stream after another at those single unshielded spots across the _Avalon_'s hull, causing further lines of explosions while taking inner delight in the panic that she was causing throughout the ship, both from the explosions and the dawning realization among the crew that their ship was no longer untouchable.

The anti-air fire only intensified from there, with a greater volume of bullets being fired into the open sky, followed by a spray of missiles from the _Avalon_'s vertical launchers. Again Kallen dove through the wall of bullets, banking and spinning past them in such a way that could be described as majestic, before being forced to climb from the incoming missiles. For the latter, she quickly switched her surger to spray mode and launched a blood red funnel of radiant wave energy, detonating the missiles in near simultaneous fashion and leaving only a collection of smoke and fire behind. Once the last of the missiles were dealt with, she flew through the resulting flames and came over the _Avalon_'s topside, where additional CIWS responded to her presence. At that, Kallen had the _Guren_ put on greater speed and immediately dart directly over the hull, rolling and weaving around the upward rain of lead while firing back one stream after another at the assorted CIWS turrets, burning them down and causing additional damage to the ship that they rested upon. The result was apparent, as she "saw" the _Avalon_'s power network begin to flicker from the damage.

Along with that slight power loss, Kallen could "see" some of the hexagons that made up _Avalon_'s entire shield fade away in certain places, but not yet at a significant enough level that she could attack the bridge, float system or main drive. Gritting her teeth, she inverted the _Guren _and made a long dive along its portside, firing again and again at different openings in the shield as she flew past, one more while evading any type of defensive fire that was launched at her. More CIWS turrets burned away and more explosions sounded across the hull as a result. When she was about to fall below the ship itself, she turned and altered her flight path so that she was flying toward the rear of the ship and in the "right side up" position. From there she arced around until she was directly behind the _Avalon_'s stern, where her Geass had detected one of the larger hexagonal openings. Once her targeting reticule was perfectly aligned, she let out another stream of radiation, one that lasted much longer than her previous attacks, which burned its way deep into ship and through several decks and corridors. It was only until the beam reached the power grid that she had been aiming for from the start that she broke the beam and shot away, while the _Avalon _began listing to port from the additional loss of power.

Before she could follow up on her attack, Kallen felt her head instinctively shift to the right as she "saw" a group of _Sutherlands _break through the main battle and move toward her position. She felt her lips curl into another sneer, as she wished she had detected their intended approach earlier, but all the same she understood how they had managed to get through: even though her Geass could cover a large area at will, Kallen was still human and she could only concentrate on so many places at once. As such, there were times, such as now, where an outside force could slip in close while her focus was elsewhere. Even so however, they had yet to make it close enough to do any damage before she became truly "aware" of them.

As with the _Avalon_, she "saw" directly into each and every one of the knightmares, from their mechanical parts to the pilots in the cockpit pods themselves. In that same instant she identified the commander, a brown haired man with 1st Lieutenant ranks pips on his flight suit, in a unit that was more toward the rear of the formation. At present, he was ordering his subordinates to "flank the bastard" while he moved in the center and "popped it with the money shot", while the smirk on his face reflected his belief that they were about to catch their target blindsided. At that, Kallen dryly swung her surger arm directly back and lanced a crimson stream into that _Sutherland_, taking some minor delight in "watching" the unit and its occupant instantly boil and explode, as well as the great shock its "random" destruction caused its comrades.

She was back in motion no sooner than the _Sutherland_ had exploded, ascending and then flipping around to charge at the remainders. One of their number had been properly dispatched with a running slash from her fork knife before the others were able to get over their shock enough to return fire, shooting machine gun rounds and grenades at her direction. Even without her Geass she would have had no trouble dodging their uncoordinated fire, but since Kallen had chosen to leave it active she barely exerted any effort in weaving around each bullet stream, practically one bullet and grenade after another, before closing on a _Sutherland _and dispatching either with her knife or slash harken or with a well placed grenade of her own; she wasn't about to waste any more radiant wave energy on this helpless bunch of cannon fodder. In a matter of seconds, their numbers dwindled from an entire squadron to just one more, which was now flying back and firing its machine gun helplessly, its pilot knowing death was imminent.

Before she could dispatch it however, Kallen's attention again shifted back toward the _Avalon_, which was now attempting to bring one of its HV cannons to bare on her for a sneak attack. She laughed snidely on the inside at that; hadn't they realized by now that she could literally "see" through their every move? Not hindered in the slightest, she shot at the last _Sutherland_ like a crimson lightning bolt, but instead of dispatching it right up front, she flew over it, twisted around and landed a solid metallic kick into its cockpit pod. As a result, the knightmare was flung directly in the firing path of the HV cannon, just as the weapons officer had pulled the trigger; little over a millisecond later, a hyper-velocity shell tore through the _Sutherland_ right at the center while the _Guren _had again long moved out of harm's way.

Ignoring the "sight" of the _Sutherland_ getting literally blown away, Kallen resumed her attack on the _Avalon_, which was now mounting a defense with its remaining CIWS while its VLS tubes fired off another missile shower. She easily evaded these and continued back toward the ship itself, which thanks to the loss of power, held even larger openings in its "Blaze Luminous" than before. This allowed Kallen to fire longer lasting radiant wave shots across the cruiser's orange hull, leaving entire lines of burned and melted remains while pillars of smoke billowed from the ones that were still alight. Secondary explosions sounded all throughout the onslaught.

* * *

**Black Knights air battleship **_**Ikaruga**_**  
Pacific Ocean  
April 11, 2025 a.t.b.**

_Kallen..._ Ohgi's mind spoke out as he watched over his personal monitor as the _Guren_ ripped through the _Avalon_'s hull all the while dancing around the bullets and missiles. Inwardly grimacing at the knowledge that she was using her Geass to "see" through the cruiser's defenses and act accordingly, he shook his head and forced himself to concentrate on the present. Despite his own misgivings, Kallen had given them the opening they needed to slip away from certain doom, even if it would prove to be momentary. And Ohgi, as well as Minami and the rest of the _Ikaruga_'s crew, would be damned before allowing that opening to be wasted.

Up ahead, the damaged yet imposing shape of the _Southampton_ was centered upon the bridge's main monitor, as well as the bridge windows, where it grew larger and larger in the latter as the _Ikaruga_ closed the distance. The destroyer had long since noticed their approach and was trying to throw them off with a barrage from its remaining HV cannons, but the _Ikaruga _pressed on through the onslaught regardless, radiant wave shields more than able to hold to that kind of firepower. Her bow ports had been reopened and her hadron cannons revealed once more, both aglow with crimson and white.

"In range!" Futuba reported as she read over her weapons console, looking more ready to send the enemy airship to kingdom come than one would have expected of her.

"Fire!" Minami gave the command immediately.

A second later, another set of twin blood red streams erupted from the _Ikaruga_ and blasted their way directly through the _Southampton_'s "Blaze Luminous" and then through the main hull itself. Another second later, the _Southampton_ ceased to exist as anything more than ignited air and fiery remains, with what little there was of the latter falling toward the earth below.

* * *

Gino grimaced as the enemy knightmare came at him with another overhead slash attack with its fork knife, one that, knowing he would be unable to evade, deflected by spinning his poleaxes. Despite that, Charmelle kept up her offensive, supplementing her knife attacks with an occasional stream from her surger, keeping the _Tristan _pinned down and unable to even transform, let alone move away from its crimson attacker. Even a point blank shot with his right arm slash harken failed, as Charmelle banked to the side and then cut the cable with a quick slash.

At the loss of his harken, and with it half of his electromagnetic rail cannon, Gino was about to push more forward in an attempt to retake the defensive. Spinning the poleaxe again, he moved into a series of slashes, followed upon by a direct thrust in an attempt to impale the enemy machine, but Charmelle was quick enough to dodge each and every attack with precision before smashing her fork knife against the axe blade. From there, she angled her left arm to bring her grenade launcher to bare, but Gino knocked the knife away and then twisted the poleaxe around, just in time to slash the launcher clean off the arm before Charmelle could pull the trigger. However, this action also brought the _Tristan_ and the _Guren Isshiki _directly face to face with the other, with both machines attempting to overpower the other's hold and strike while their pilots glared out from their respective optical systems at the other's machine.

"Disappointing Gino!" Charmelle stated with a subtle yet vicious edge. She followed this up forcing the poleaxe into the air and then using her free right arm to punch the _Tristan_ across the opened gash in its faceplate, crushing the metal and inner mechanics that had previously been exposed by Kallen's last attack. The _Tristan _then shot back just as she executed another slash, to which she pursued in an aerial dash. "You're still as hesitant as you were over Pendragon!"

Once more it was all Gino could do to defend, parrying each knife and surger attack with as much energy as he could muster in the face of his former friend's ferocity. All that while he again pushed back his still churning doubts and emotions from the forefront of his mind. "Just what is it that you and the Black Knights intended to accomplish Charmelle!?" he barked with frustration as he tried to behead the enemy knightmare with a counter slash, only for Charmelle to evade. "What was it that made you come out here!?"

Charmelle flashed a smart smile. "_Britannia delenda est_, Gino_._" she replied, just as she launched her slash harken in an attempt to catch Gino off guard. However, after seeing the attack performed so much by the _Guren __Nishiki_, Gino had little trouble evading the harken, even though Charmelle kept him from cutting it away by pressing her attack. "We're going to make that phrase a reality."

Gino's teeth grit together, both from Charmelle's answer and her continued offensive. "Then you are all fools!" he shouted back as he moved the poleaxe down for a hammer blow, only for Charmelle to deflect it at the tip. "It'll take more than sieging Pendragon and sacking _one _military base to bring down Britannia!"

"True enough." Charmelle acknowledged as the swordfight continued.

"So why!? Gino shouted out as he felt his inner turmoil beginning to overpower him again. "Why did you throw your lives away in a place like this!?"

Much to Gino's surprise, Charmelle's response wasn't another biting quip, but rather, a burst of derisive laughter that made Gino's gut clench and blood run cold. "You _severely_ underestimate us if you believe it will all end here Gino." Charmelle stated as she charged again. "I might not be privy to the _real _plans, but I know this much: Pendragon and Crusoe aren't meant to be our 'last stand', but a preview to what lies in store for Britannia and the rest of the world in the coming future."

She followed up her sword attacks by kneeing the _Tristan_ in the gut, further destabilizing its still growing unstable pilot. "And believe me, when _everything_ comes to pass...!" she continued with a smirk as she reached out and incinerated the _Tristan_'s entire right arm, forcing Gino to eject it, but not before it had passed its poleaxe to the left. "...the world will never be the same!"

"That's assuming you'll survive here and now!" Gino stated with ever growing fury, as he spun the poleaxe and then moved to impale with it again.

Charmelle's smirk grew until it became outright dominant. "Such little faith." she replied, just as she made her _Guren_ perform a midair jump up and over the poleaxe. In that same instant, she twisted around in midair to perform her patented Hunchback Strike, "landing" directly onto the _Tristan_'s cockpit pod with the _Guren Isshiki_'s metal feet slamming down on the canopy and causing a hardened clamping noise to shudder throughout the entire knightmare. And then, just before Gino could regain control of his frame, Charmelle brought her surger up and ensnared it over the _Tristan_'s head, then proceeding into firing radiant wave energy directly through the head and into Yggdrasil Drive.

As Charmelle planned, the energy attack wasn't enough to destroy the drive and the _Tristan_ with it, but it was enough to destabilize the entire frame's power network. Right after, the _Tristan_ lost power to its float system and literally fell right out from the _Isshiki_'s feet, at the same time losing its grip on its poleaxe. In a last ditch attack, a still defiant Gino reached the left arm up and attempted to fire his remaining slash harken at the _Guren_, but Charmelle saw the attack coming and managed to dodge in time, only losing her left leg below the ankle as a result.

In a matter of moments, the _Tristan_ disappeared beneath the clouds and Charmelle turned away to the continuing battle at hand, not once bothering to look back.

* * *

**Britannian air cruiser **_**Avalon**_**  
Pacific Ocean  
April 11, 2025 a.t.b.**

"Colonel, the float system's been hit!" one of the deckhands exclaimed on the _Avalon_'s bridge, which among other things was now darkened due to the loss of primary lighting, while several of the displays, including the main monitor were now reduced to static. Another blast rocked the hull just after the deckhand had given that report. "We're losing altitude!"

Still sitting in the captain's chair, Talia took off her cap and rubbed the sweat off her forehead. The damage had been far beyond her expectations to say the least; hull breaches in nearly every section, almost all systems were disabled, power fluctuations becoming more and more rampant, and now as reported their float system was going offline, symbolized by how the ship was beginning to list forward and fall. Fortunately the _Avalon_, as with all airships in the Imperial Armed Forces, had been fitted with a backup float system that would control the ship's descent until it touched down, which Talia was more than a little grateful for. Yet this was only a poor consolation when compared to the undeniable truth: the _Avalon_ would become the first Britannian airship to be shot down by a _single knightmare frame_.

The Imperial Air Force Colonel could only grit her teeth at that knowledge, as well as the flickering image of the _Guren_ on the main monitor, still streaking around the _Avalon_'s hull. The knowledged that she had made the wrong decision in focusing her ship's AA batteries on the knightmare, thereby leaving gaps open in the "Blaze Luminous" for the _Guren_ to shoot through, didn't help her pride any either. Not that anyone in her position would have believed that the Black Knights had equipped that particular knightmare with a Druid System or something similar of course, even if the technology had long become standard for them with the original theft of the _Gawain_. Yet even so, there was no excuse for her: in spite of her current misgivings toward her liege, she had failed Prince Schneizel, as well as let down her crew, the men and women that had depended on her to lead them to victory. All she could do now was survive and hope for a chance to redeem herself.

At the same time however, she wasn't about to go down without taking one last shot at the enemy. As such, Talia righted herself in her chair and shouted out the following demand. "What's the position of the Black Battleship!?"

Sean looked over his monitors quickly, hitting it once to clear the static, before shouting back. "To starboard at Sector Kappa Ten...!" his eyes widened as he saw an image disappear on his display. "They just destroyed the _Southampton_!"

Talia grimaced in response. Yet another point to add to her current string of failures. "Angle the bow toward them and focus all remaining power onto the VARIS cannon! Set for burst shot!"

"I don't know if he have any power left for that ma'am!" Eric replied in response.

"Do what you can!" Talia barked out in turn, gripping the arms of her chair hard as Henry struggled to carry out her orders, causing the whole ship to shake. "We're _not_ letting them get away, _not_ if we can help it!"

* * *

More fire erupted from the orange hull as Kallen knocked out the final distribution network to the _Avalon_'s float system, causing the system to flicker in power and result in the ship's descent. From her Geass, she could "see" another float system, what appeared to be a less powerful back up model, activate and slowly take control of the vessel's drop in altitude. For a moment Kallen considered knocking that out as well and just letting them ship freefall, but she decided against it; the _Avalon_ was pretty much knocked out of the fight, so there was no need to subject her crew to an unnecessarily brutal demise. As such, she ascended out from "under" the stricken, smoking vessel and ascended, where she planned to watch as the _Avalon _dropped below the clouds.

No sooner than she had made it up to her intended altitude did Kallen "see" something that made her immediately regret her decision. Much to her growing horror, she "saw" the _Avalon_ captain shout out the last command to take one final shot at the "Black Battleship", and immediately after she had finished did the _Avalon_ begin to turn again, bringing its bow and its VARIS cannon once again directly to bare on the direction of the _Ikaruga_. Worse yet was in regard to the cannon itself, as Kallen could "see" the long, rectangular barrel casing split vertically, while the inner barrel extended out like with the _Lancelot_'s trademark weapon, all the while a much greater volume of power poured into the firing mechanisms.

Knowing full well that the _Ikaruga_ would be unable to maneuver in time, and much more that from the amount of power being sent into the cannon that the resulting shot would easily if not completely destroy the battleship in one blow, Kallen put all of her own energy back into her air glide wing system and dove toward the gun. However, she soon realized that with the _Avalon_'s current rate of descent, it would take entire moments before she would reach the underside of the bow. _Damn it, I'm not going to make it!_

Fortunately she hadn't needed to. In what barely registered as milliseconds, Kallen "watched" as a single bright "white" line shot through her Geass powered "vision", landed right at the base of the _Avalon_'s main cannon, and then streaked out the other side where it continued to travel to parts unknown. From there she continued to "watch", again in what barely registered as milliseconds, as a resulting chain reaction erupted throughout the cannon, causing its mechanics to mechanics to breakdown all the way through the line while the disrupted power systems erupted in flame, which also traveled throughout the entire weapon. All of this cumulated in the entire cannon exploding in a thunderous boom, the force of which also destroyed the entire tip of the _Avalon_'s bow and causing additional secondary explosions to rock throughout the ship.

And as she continued to "look" on as the _Avalon_ finally disappeared past the clouds, smoke continuing to trail throughout its fall, Kallen extended her vision further toward the direction that the shot had come from. As she half-expected, there hovered C.C.'s _Seisoukenshiki_, linear rifle extended in a sniper's pose, while C.C. just finished switching off her targeting scope. That's when she muttered two single words, which Kallen, upon reading her lips and "seeing" the highly uncharacteristic seriousness of her expression, automatically knew were directed toward her. _Get Lelouch!_

"...confirmed, all Britannian units destroyed or in retreat." Kallen heard Ohgi's voice over the radio. "All Black Knight units return to the _Ikaruga_!"

Kallen took the opportunity to key in. "Rei Leader to B-1, Gyoku One is still engaged over target area! Breaking off to retrieve him!"

And without waiting for Ohgi's reply, though she assumed it would have been an approval, Kallen turned away and darted off back to the still burning Crusoe. And as she put the _Guren_ into its top flight speed, Kallen could only hope against hope that the one who had led them here, and would lead them further beyond, was still alive and fighting his nemesis.

* * *

**Pearl Harbor Naval Base  
County of Crusoe, Area 7 (Sandwich Islands), Holy Britannian Empire  
****April 11, 2025 a.t.b.**

The _Gawain_ danced across the fire lit sky as the _Lancelot_ stormed after it, their respective blades continuously clashing together all throughout. Armor broken, certain mechanical limbs removed and their respective arsenals now reduced to one blade and assorted shielding and slash harkens apiece, the battle had devolved into a traditional swordfight, but with all the frenzy and malice of a true melee. This was especially the case with the _Lancelot_ now; driven by pure and continuously intensifying rage, Suzaku was now focusing almost entirely on the offensive, executing great and powerful sword strokes that drove the larger _Gawain _further back into the sky. Lelouch himself could only parry his blows as his mind reeled to come up with an effective counterattack.

_Damn it, I'm being beaten back!_ Lelouch's mind shouted as the Lancelot a powerful butterfly kick, one reinforced with "Blaze Luminous" that forced Lelouch to form an ADF shield to avoid taking damage. The _Lancelot_ then darted to the left side and let loose its two remaining slash harkens, which Lelouch was just barely able to avoid, but not without losing one of the lower left wing to his float system. As a result of that attack, Lelouch struggled to hold his knightmare in balance as the crazed Suzaku continued his assault with his remaining MVS, practically roaring and bellowing each time he smashed his blade against the _Gawain_'s own sword or whenever it redeployed its shield. Even when Lelouch made a downward slash that took another chunk out of the _Lancelot_'s torso armor, as well as disabled its left factsphere sensor, Suzaku was not hindered and only pressed further.

It was pretty obvious that Suzaku's rage had completely overpowered him now, and that even his form was affected by it; as opposed to his usual graceful and precise movements, the Japanese turned Britannian loyalist was fighting with the composition of a rookie, with his attacks coming off as sloppy, ill-timed and randomly aimed. However, the tradeoff of this was a dramatic increase in volume of attacks, to the point that there were little openings left for Lelouch to counter, which was why he was now on the constant defensive. This also had the unfortunate side effect of negating Lelouch's ability to predict Suzaku's actions, as it didn't matter if he could see through his fighting style if the attacks came so constantly, thus disallowing him to fight back in turn.

And worse yet, Suzaku's offensive seemed to be directly tied to his wrath, and with each moment both his attacks and his fury gained additional power. That one particularly stuck to Lelouch, as he knew he would be overwhelmed in a matter of moments if he didn't come up with something fast.

In the middle of his thoughts, the _Lancelot_ surged forward and again attempted a "Blaze Luminous" spin kick, which it followed up with a sword slash, to which Lelouch once more threw his shield up as both attacks landed, causing the _Gawain _to recoil in midair. Its opponent disoriented, the white knightmare closed in with its blade raised hig, only for Lelouch to jam his own blade up into the path and leave the two knightmares with their swords slammed together in front of their faceplates, their visages further illuminated by the glow of their respective swords.

"Is that all you've got Lelouch!?" Suzaku glowered over the radio, attempting to drive his sword further against the _Gawain_'s sole remaining "Spatha". "Is that all Bismarck has taught you!?"

Lelouch grimaced as he fought to come up with an answer to that. "Bismarck taught me to control my emotions." he started with a growl. "Something that you could learn yourself!"

With that, Lelouch reached up with the _Gawain_'s left hand, formed an ADF shield around its fist and, in a clear imitation of the _Lancelot_'s kicking technique, punched its way through the _Lancelot_'s right side. While the force of the blow wasn't enough to break through to the Yggdrasil Drive, it did leave a massive hole in the _Lancelot_'s torso armor, as well as sent it flying away from the _Gawain_. Using that momentary opening, Lelouch took to the offensive this time around, launching a direct attack against his opponent while continuing to speak. "Euphie would be ashamed of you if she were here now!"

Again, the temperature and pressure of Suzaku's blood spiked at the mention of that name from Lelouch's mouth. _"And _whose _fault is it that she isn't!?"_ Suzaku roared back before charging again. _"Who was the one who_ used _and _murdered_ her!?"_

Lelouch grounded his teeth, both in response to Suzaku's attack and to keep the leftover emotions he _still _felt over Euphemia's death and his hand in it from taking over him. He knew if he let his guilt get the better of him now, then he was as good as dead in the face of the crazed Knight of Seven and his relentlessness.

"All she wanted was _peace_, Lelouch!" Suzaku stated with a howl, as he again drove his MVS to impale only for the _Gawain_ to deflect it. "All she wanted was to give my people back what they had lost, in the way that she best knew how! _And you killed her for it!_"

Again their blades clashed and held, with neither knightmare nor pilot being able to overcome the other's hold. In that same moment, Lelouch felt his mind flashback to his final "meeting" with Euphie and the horrible events that had unfolded thereafter; his Geass going out of control in that very moment, just when he had claimed he could make her "kill all the Japanese", therefore turning her into a murderous slave in spite of her initial attempts to resist. From there the slaughter begun, to which Lelouch had no choice but to step in and end Euphie's rampage, and having to go against his very humanity and love for her to do so.

In that same moment, Lelouch was tempted to tell the truth about the whole thing then and there, just to lay the matter, and his inner demons, to rest once and for all. And yet, while visibly closing his eyes in doing so, he held himself back on one single factor: he did not know what the truth would do to Suzaku as he was now. While he had little doubt Suzaku would believe him, if only because he knew Lelouch was not one to tell such a "lie", Lelouch did not know how Suzaku would handle such knowledge; would it relieve him of his own demons, or would it only serve to break him further?

Either way, Lelouch, as one last act for the sake of his friend, let the truth die in his throat, all the while he instantly came up with a lie that was just as believable. "Euphie's death was regrettable..." Lelouch began, letting some of the guilt through to his expression to further sell it. "...but necessary."

Rage once more flickered in Suzaku's eyes. _"Necessary!?"_ he barked, before breaking the hold and forcing the _Gawain_ back again with a flurry of sword strikes. _"She was willing to sacrifice_ everything _to accomplish Japan's salvation, and her death was '_necessary'_!?"_

"The Japan Euphie pined for was an illusion!" Lelouch stated as he deflected the sword attacks. "Yes the Japanese would have had their names and some rights restored to them, but they still would have been slaves to Britannia! Only instead of their slavery enforced by guns and batons, it would be enforced by economics, thanks to Britannia's exclusive hold on the sakuradite!" he pressed back on his own offensive. "Japan would have been drained of its resources while its people would continue to suffer under the Empire's heel, and without Euphie's position as a Princess, she would have been left to rot as well!"

Lelouch again deflected the _Lancelot_'s next sword blow with his shield, then counterattacked accordingly, as Suzaku, despite his rage still being present, was now suitably distracted by his opponent's words. _"Nothing would have changed!_" Lelouch declared, his words sounding more distant to his own ears than Suzaku's. "That is why it was necessary to discredit Euphie, and then _remove _her in one single motion!"

_"And the Japanese you made her kill!?" _Suzaku demanded in response, his voice lowered to a barely held back growl.

At that, Lelouch projected an air of indifference. "Also regrettable, but just as necessary for the same purpose." Lelouch stated simply.

Needless to say, Suzaku only became more livid. _"And you call_ me_ a monster!"_ he roared in turn, again driving his own attack forward. _"Just how many have you used as_ pawns_ on your damned chessboard Lelouch! How many have you _murdered _to fulfill your damned purposes!"_

Feeling anger welling up in him at that question, Lelouch reached his blade overhead and deflected a downward cut from the _Lancelot_, holding both swords in midair as a result. "You have the _gall_ to ask me those questions Suzaku!?" he muttered with growing disdain, before shouting out. _"Even when you_ murdered_ your own father for a similar purpose!?"_

And all of a sudden, the rage disappeared from Suzaku's face only to be replaced with frozen realization. Immediately Lelouch seized the opportunity, knowing it was exactly what he had been waiting for, driving his "Spatha" forward to throw the _Lancelot_'s MVS aside. "Do _NOT_ lecture me on _murder_, hypocrite!" Lelouch bellowed as he pressed the attack. _"Not when you killed your father to stop a war and potential genocide!"_

After a few massive swipes, Lelouch sent the _Lancelot _sailing to the ground, where it landed in a kneeling position. From there Lelouch dove and attempted to strike at its head, only for Suzaku to reflexively raise his sword and block the attack. "I did what I did to keep the Japanese from becoming more enslaved by Britannia than they were already! Just as you did what you did to ensure their continued survival! Both of our hands are bloodied as a result!"

Lelouch put even more energy into it attack as he followed up with his declaration. "_So DO NOT pretend you're any better than me, Suzaku!"_

Suzaku's head only dipped down so that Lelouch could no longer see his eyes, just as he pulled the _Lancelot_ back on its landspinners, only stopping when the _Gawain_ landed itself. Again, both knightmares became motionless, while they "stared" at each other with their eye cameras, the _Gawain_'s single functioning ruby eye and the _Lancelot_'s twin emerald eyes. At that, Lelouch, breathing heavily from both his tirade and the small pause in battle, wondered what Suzaku's response was going to be; had his words reached out and taken away his drive for battle? If it had, then now was the time for him to retreat, to which Lelouch intended to do until he heard a sound over the radio.

At first, it was a minute sound, little more than a quieted 'heh'. Then that sound was repeated again and again, until Suzaku began chuckling full on. The chuckling only grew in volume with each passing moment, until it seemingly threatened to fill the entirety of the _Lancelot_'s cockpit and overpower the speakers in the _Gawain_'s.

And then, in a moment that would be entrapped in Lelouch's memories forever, Suzaku flung his head back up as howling laughter echoed throughout the air.

Just as suddenly as the laughter had came, Lelouch's rage and initiative degenerated into cold shock and confusion, as he found himself no longer staring into the face of great wrath, but something that was far more dark and destructive. _Something _that he was entirely unprepared for: madness. "Suzaku...?" he murmured quietly, feeling as though his whole body had gone numb from the display.

Hearing his name spoken out, Suzaku's laughter calmed down, but the madness remained in both his eyes and the twisted parody of a smile he gave off. "So you _still_ don't know...!" Suzaku said, bits of laughter leaking out between his sentences. "After all this time, you _still _don't know anything, Lelouch...! I honestly thought you would have figured it out by now!"

"What...are you talking about...?" Lelouch stammered, confusion and fear growing within.

"Isn't it obvious...?" Suzaku stated just as his smile grew to seemingly encompass his entire face. Suddenly he made the _Lancelot_ charge again, such that Lelouch barely had enough time to parry his blade. "The _true reason _behind my father's death!"

At that, Lelouch attempted to regain his composure. "I already know...!"

_"You know nothing!"_ Suzaku roared in a manic tone, something like a cross between a grizzly bear and a circus clown. The force behind the cry, as well as the twisted gaze from Suzaku's eyes, were enough to silence Lelouch. "Do you really believe a ten year old boy would act so _selflessly_!? That he would take his own father's life for things like _country_ or _people_!?"

"But Mao said...!" Lelouch stammered to retort again.

_"Mao lied!"_ Suzaku roared in that same tone again, followed by a small bit of laughter as he drove the _Lancelot_'s blade even further, landspinners grinding against the pavement against the still immobile _Gawain_, which easily held its ground against the smaller knightmare. "He probably believed if you had learned the truth then, you would have been _sympathetic_ to me! _But that's no longer an issue, is it!?"_

Lelouch could only breath as he both fought to continue holding his ground and to keep from being overwhelmed emotionally. "Then...?"

"Again, isn't it obvious!" Suzaku chuckled, before letting it all out. "I killed my father..." he began in a somber tone, which instantly turned more frenzied as he continued. _"...for you and Nunnally!"_

Dawning realization eclipsed Lelouch's face at that exclamation, along with frozen horror and the near inability to breathe. The feeling in his body seemingly drained away at those words, and whatever willingness to battle at that point vanished as well; it was only through his instinct to defend himself from harm that made him continue deflecting Suzaku's attacks. And for the _second_ time in his entire existence, the first being when he saw his mother's corpse and his blinded, bleeding sister laying on the staircase in Aries, Lelouch's mind became completely blank of thought and reason beyond one simple word. _What...?_

Suzaku's words continued to ring in his ears however, but now they sounded distant and over an invisible horizon. "My father knew that the death of the Japanese wouldn't matter to the Britannians..." the Knight of Seven's words came out more subdued now, but once more the madness remained behind them, seemingly waiting for a chance to come out into the open again. "As long as Britannia got the sakuradite, the mass suicide of over a hundred million would be of little consequence to them..."

The mania grew back into Suzaku's voice, if only a little, as he went on his next sentence. "As such, my father decided upon one last act of defiance to the invaders: he planned on killing you and Nunnally and then leaving your bodies to hang in front of the Kururugi Shrine. Final _tenchu _on the Britannians he called it..."

What sounded like remorse then came into Suzaku's tone, further emphasized a single tear trailed down his left eye. "And so, to protect you and your sister, the only friends that I ever had, I turned on my father and _killed _him where he stood."

Lelouch didn't know what to say, and even if he did he wasn't sure if he had been able to speak at that time. As if struck by a tidal wave, it seemed all logic and intellect had been washed away from him, leaving only pure emotion to keep him frozen in place. This, along with realization that, after all this time, _he_ had been the one behind Suzaku's first step into darkness. _He _and his sister had been the ones that caused Suzaku to turn and commit the act of patricide at the mere age of ten, and from there to suffer an eternity of guilt and longing for a mortal release, which in turn would drive him into Britannia's service.

_All this time..._ Lelouch could barely formulate words in his mind now. _It was... Me?_

"And now..." another small chuckle escaped Suzaku's lips. "Now here you are... The friend I threw both my innocence and my soul away for, now my greatest enemy, the murderer of the woman I loved and the one who led my people to their destruction...!" more fits of laughter. _"...Doesn't that make you laugh, Lelouch!?"_

Finally through one final charge, the _Lancelot_ was able to get the _Gawain_ to move again, as it forced Lelouch to reactivate his float system and take back to the sky. The _Lancelot_ followed suit, as a frantic Suzaku rambled over the comm. circuit. _"Go on Lelouch, laugh at me!"_ he called out in that crazed tone again. _"Tell me I was wrong! Call me a fool! Explain how you, the great Zero, would have done it all differently!"_

Lelouch continued to defend, but it was obvious that he was fighting a losing battle, and as ill-placed as Suzaku's attacks were, he was clearly the dominator. After several more attacks, he began speaking again, all the while slashing and hacking like a possessed man, laughing all the way. _"If only I had known _then_ what I do _now_...!"_ Suzaku bellowed. _"If I had _known_ what _you_ would become...! If I had _known_ what _I_ would lose...!"_ he then slammed his blade against the _Gawain_'s own "Spatha", far harder than he had before. _**"I WOULD HAVE LET HIM KILL YOU!"**_

The words only hit Lelouch with greater force than the sword attacks ever could, and once more only his instinctive will to defend himself, long instilled into him by Bismarck, kept Suzaku's blade from reaching the _Gawain_'s most vital areas. Even so, Suzaku was not deterred, and in that single moment, his initial wrath returned and merged with his present madness. _"I didn't lie to you in Kamine, Lelouch!"_ Suzaku cried out. _"Your very existence IS a mistake! IT IS _MY _MISTAKE!"_

Suzaku rammed his blade against the _Gawain_ a second time. _"A mistake that I will correct...!"_ he declared, his hands tightening once more around his controls. _"...BY ERASING YOU FROM THIS VERY EXISTENCE!"_

With that, the _Lancelot_ kicked the _Gawain_ away and vaulted into the air, near instantly positioning itself over the _Gawain_'s back and inverting its sword. Suzaku then put nearly all his remaining power into his float system and shot downward, seemingly set to impale the _Gawain_'s cockpit block and its stunned pilot...

And yet it was then destiny seemingly chose to intervene. His sensors bleeping off a warning, Suzaku barely had time to halt his drop and bank, dodging the bright red radiant wave stream that blasted through where he had just been a moment ago. At that, the _Lancelot_'s head turned to see the _Guren Kashoshiki _charging in from the dark horizon, sapphire eyes now ablaze with the wrath of its pilot.

_"You...!" _Suzaku was just able to let out.

**_"SUZAKU!" _**Kallen bellowed in turn, with both her right eye, which remained blue, and her left eye, alight crimson by Geass, speaking of a fury that seemed more intense than even Suzaku's in its own way.

Believing the _Guren_ was closing in to attack with its fork knife, Suzaku raised his sword to defend. However, just as she pulled close, Kallen reversed the _Guren_ and brought its left leg up, so that it would kick the _Lancelot_ in the torso as it moved in. As a result, the _Lancelot _was again flung across the sky, where it landed in the ruins of a nearby watch tower.

With Suzaku momentarily stunned, Kallen turned to the still motionless _Gawain_. "Zero, we're out of time!" she called out hurriedly. "We've cleared our escape route of interceptors, but reinforcements will be due any moment! We have to go _now_!"

No response came from the _Gawain_, nor did Lelouch's expression change from the dazed shocked expression he now wore, as if his entire world had collapsed from underneath him. Kallen knew why that was; through her Geass she had been able to see _everything_ that had transpired in the last few moments, including the madness within Suzaku Kururugi boiling to the surface and his explanation of "the truth". But as overpowering as those things were, especially for her to "see" Lelouch as he was now, they couldn't afford to stay here any longer. As such, she called out again, this time in pure desperation. **"LELOUCH!"**

At the sound of his name spoken by her voice, Lelouch visibly blinked and finally regained his composure, at least a fraction of it and if only for the moment. "Yes, you are correct Q-1..." Lelouch murmured, still drained from what he had just seen and learned. "We've accomplished our mission. There is nothing left to do here."

After stating such, Lelouch disengaged his Spatha Luminous and moved to turn the _Gawain_ around. A moment later however, the _Lancelot_ cleared its way from the wreckage and looked back up to its opponent. _"It's not over Lelouch!"_ Suzaku called out, now having recovered some of his "normal" self but still exerting much anger in his tone. _"Let's finish what we started eight years ago here and now, at the end of everything!"_

Lelouch did not so much as look back. Instead, he opened his side compartment again and withdrew his mask. "You're wrong Suzaku..." he stated, just as pulled his both his veil and his hair up, before slipping the mask over his head. _"...this is only the beginning."_

Saying no more, he put energy into the _Gawain_'s float system and shot off toward the horizon. Upon seeing this, fury yet again overcame Suzaku and he shot off after the _Gawain_ with another roar, intent on finishing their battle whether Lelouch willed it or not. However, he was intercepted midway by the _Guren_, who this time did slam its fork knife against his MVS.

_"Get out of my way, Kallen!" _Suzaku bellowed anxiously.

"I should have killed you in Ares..." Kallen snarled, completely disgusted and infuriated at what she saw from both her normal eye and her Geass in regard to Suzaku before her, and what he had inflicted on Lelouch behind her. Thus with one final declaration of her own, she sounded off. "...you're _my _mistake Suzaku!"

The _Guren_ then pushed back against the _Lancelot_ while simultaneously switching its surger to spread mode. A moment later, the _Lancelot_ was able to reorient itself and charge again, but by that point Kallen had brought her surger around and let loose her remaining radiant wave energy into a miniscule crimson funnel that immersed the white knightmare. From then on, the _Lancelot_froze in its tracks and remained still, allowing Kallen to turn around and take off toward her commander.

Rage continuing to empower him, Suzaku wrestled with the _Lancelot_'s controls in a futile attempt to get his steed moving again, but no matter how much he jerked the control sticks or what buttons he pushed, the _Lancelot_ remained where it was while the visages of the _Gawain_ and _Guren _became more and more distant. After several moments of struggle and frantic cursing, Suzaku, at last, surrendered himself to the knowledge that Zero would escape him once more, just as he always had. However, that didn't mean he was about to end like that.

_"Hear me Lelouch...!"_ he bellowed again over the radio. _"It may take another eight years or even an eternity, but I swear on Euphie's name you will pay for your crimes in the end and that I will be the one to finish you! Never forget that!"_

Upon that declaration, Lelouch could only close his eyes and finally let the tears flow out within the confines of his mask.

* * *

**Britannian **_**Logres**_**-class air battleship **_**Magnificent  
**_**County of Crusoe, Area 7 (Sandwich Islands), Holy Britannian Empire****  
April 11, 2025 a.t.b.**

Schneizel felt his eyes narrow at what he saw before him, feeling that the worst of his fears had indeed come true. By now the _Magnificent_ the rest of her taskforce approached were holding steady above what used to be the central Britannian naval base of the pacific, while sentry units flew about the area to inspect the damage, as well as for any signs of survivors. From those craft, were transmitted back to the _Magnificent _and the other ships; images of vehicle wreckage and burning buildings flickered in and out of the bridge's main monitor, while from the bridge windows one could look down and see the telltale glows of still burning flames. All cumulated into an eerie inferno, one that somehow remained bright and vibrant even as the sun began to rise from the east and cast the area into the first stretches of dawn.

At the very least, however, there were survivors, even if only a few. Some distance away, the air destroyers _Birmingham_ and _Providence_ were now moving toward the direction where a group of SOS signals were being transmitted, among which were those of the apparently disabled _Avalon_ and the _Tristan_ and _Mordred_. And while it was not transmitting a signal itself, the _Lancelot _had been sighted hovering over the ruins of Pearl immediately upon the taskforce's approach, and though attempted communications with the knightmare had failed, Schneizel held little doubt that its pilot was still alive, in one way or another.

Even so however, this was all a far cry from the victory he had sought. Instead of finding an overwhelmed foe for which his ships and knightmares could move against and finish off, Schneizel's forces were now "merely" operating as search and rescue, prowling the area for whatever survivors and salvageable vehicles that they could find while the enemy, the same enemy that had evaded retribution for entire years, was nowhere to be found. The mere thought of it would have been enough to instill anger within the prince, but aside from the unseen tightening of his fist, he managed to retain full control over his emotions. It also helped that there would be more opportunities in the future to eradicate the Black Knights; the question was how many would he need before he _finally _accomplished such a goal?

"I still can't believe this..." Kanon murmured from beside him. From his quieted tone he had not intended for anyone to hear his exclamation, but Schneizel's ears were sharp enough to just that.

"I _can_." Schneizel replied, as he folded his hands in front of his mouth and just under his nose, his gaze remaining on the still transmitting monitor images. "They've already laid siege to our capital, so it would only be natural for them to try something this daring as well."

"But _how_?" Kanon stammered from his liege's response. "They couldn't have just slipped in like they did over Pendragon, not when the entire Pacific Fleet had been deployed to hunt them down."

"On the contrary, it appears that they did manage to slip in." Schneizel said, still looking over the monitor. By that point, the images had shifted toward the ruined destroyers and battlecarriers. "Look at those images Kanon; all those ships sunk within the harbor itself and none beyond the coast."

"What are you getting at sire?" Kanon inquired.

"Kimmel had fallen into the enemy's trap when he deployed his fleet to intercept." Schneizel explained, his mind still calculating the battle. "I believe the enemy divided their forces into two groups at the onset of the battle: one to route the main fleet, and the other to strike at Pearl itself, which would have been open to attack with Kimmel having jumped the gun. While the first group would launch a blitzkrieg against the main fleet, likely with that missile type used at Pendragon, the second group would have travelled the rest of the distance underwater to avoid visual detection, and then surface and attack straight from behind the main defensive line."

His eyes narrowed further. "I admit it's a rather old and often used strategy, but when used correctly..." he then gestured toward the bridge windows. "...well, the results should be obvious."

Kanon lowered his head down somewhat so that only Schneizel could hear his whisper. "If I may speak freely sire, that sounds more like one of _your _strategies." he stated. "And aside from yourself, I know of no other commander who could come up with such a plan."

Schneizel remained impassive at that, resisting the urge to grin in the face of the present destruction. "Once more on the contrary Kanon." he replied. "There is one other I know..."

"Your Highness!" the comm. operator suddenly announced, breaking the discomforting tranquility that had settled over the bridge. "I'm picking up a transmission! It's coming in over nearly all channels!"

All at once everyone on the bridge looked up. "Source?" Schneizel demanded.

The comm. operator shook his head. "Unknown, sire."

Schneizel frowned in response. "Put it on the main monitor."

The operator complied with those orders, and a second later, the images of ruined buildings and destroyed vehicles were replaced with a static filled picture. However, as seconds passed on, the static retracted, little by little, until a black and white image of a certain silhouette was firmly displayed. And as the image became more clearer, certain astonishment and disbelief descended upon all those presently gathered, save for Schneizel, who retained his frown. Even if it was not clear entirely, they _all_ recognized what was standing in that frame.

Once the picture finally came into focus, displaying a certain man dressed in a cloak and bearing a certain mask, a booming voice sounded throughout the entire bridge.

**"I am... Zero!"**

* * *

TO BE CONTINUED...

**Author's Notes: **_Finally_ got past this arc; again, Pearl Harbor turned out to go a lot longer than I expected, but at the same time I'm glad no one had problems reading and following along as I originally feared. Anyway, with that particular battle over, things are officially in full swing. As a warning, the story will start taking a more _Gundam_-esque approach from here on in (more so than it has already anyway), as unlike in canon it is meant to encompass the entire globe instead of being centered around Japan; in fact, as I've told a number of people, the main reason I blew up Japan was so _Megiddo _wouldn't be tied down to it like a damn ball and chain, which was yet another of the (many) things I hated about R2. If such a story isn't your kind of thing, then you may be better off looking at other fanfics. Having said that however, I hope readers continue with my story regardless, as it just may become something more than what you or even I would have expected...


	17. Chapter 17: Declaration

_"All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players."_  
- William Shakespeare

**Chapter 17: Declaration**

**Earth, Sol System, Milky Way Galaxy  
April 11, 2025 a.t.b.**

With those three single words, the Earth became still. All across the globe, the human inhabitants of the blue planet looked up to their televisions, computers and smartphones, all wearing expressions of shock and disbelief at what they saw on those respective screens. There, standing before a silver banner with a very familiar black, tridented sigil at its center, stood a man that for the last eight years had been believed vanquished. Some had believed he had died in the Devastation, others had believed the Britannians had captured him and executed him, and even more had believed had been imprisoned anonymously in the Falklands. But now, as the people realized, all of those assumptions had been wrong, leaving only one simple, yet all too certain, reality.

Zero lived on.

**"People of the world, I have returned!"** the masked man bellowed, reaching his arms out wide and spreading his cloak open as he did so, revealing his black and gold uniform for the world to see. **"Hear me Britannia! All who disjoin remorse from power, heed my words carefully!"**

With that, he settled his arms down again and allowed his cloak to flourish back over his body in a dramatic fashion. Then after a brief moment passed, he turned his head to the right and reached his right hand up to his mask, his fingers touching the purple orb. **"I am burdened by a great sorrow as war and discrimination continue unopposed and deeds of great malice are carried by the strong to exploit the weak!"**

He then waved his hand outward, causing his cape to flutter again. **"In China, Britannia's occupation forces under Viceroy Reginald Calares, supported by the turncoat administrators of the former Chinese Federation, execute their unjust will on the beleaguered populaces without remorse and exploit the land of what little treasures it has remaining! In Russia, the legions of Fourth Prince Horatio lon Britannia march through the plains and sew death and destruction in their wake, while the Russian armies stand alone and unsupported against their wrath! In Africa, the Imperial Third Army, formerly under the command of Eleventh Prince Lelouch vi Britannia, continues to surge through the north without pause, regardless of whatever man, woman and child may be caught in the crossfire! And in Europe itself, the overwhelming forces under Second Prince Schneizel el Britannia sweep through one nation after another, enslaving their citizens and desecrating their cultures while the inept and powerless leaders of the European Union remain safely tucked away in their Central Hemicycle in Nuremberg!**

**"Yet worse still are those of malign intent within their own supposed compatriots. Groups that have taken their people's lives for granted as bartered for pieces of silver and a fief, while the rest suffers in squalor. Others still who twist the lives of their youth with a deluded dream of afterlife, filling them with religious zeal to further their own ends. And still that pales in comparison to supposed democracies with the power to challenge this evil empire yet are bloated by arrogance and complacency and continuously squabble amongst themselves for political gain and petty greed, all the while their nations burn before them!**

**"Eight years have gone by since the Black Rebellion was silenced with the Devastation that shook the Earth itself at its foundations, killing countless in its wake and leaving an entire nation desolate and lifeless, and yet the same horrid interplay of tragedy and comedy moves on throughout! The world has not changed, the systems have not changed, and the people still suffer. And as I slumbered, mangled and brutally dilapidated by the onslaught of fire and brimstone, I could not find solace or peace, as the voices of the downtrodden and oppressed rang in my ears with such vehemence and fury. With that fervor, I was reawakened from the abyss to wage battle with this evil once more!**

**"And so, my rebellion began once more, when exactly sixteen days ago on the day of Britannia's founding, my Black Knights laid siege to the Imperial capital city of Pendragon, only to continue onto this very night, when just an hour ago, those same forces laid waste to the Britannian naval basin of Pearl Harbor in the Sandwich Islands!"**

And just like the bullet that claimed the life of Crown Prince Fredrick vo Britannia so long ago, that one revelation seemingly caused the entire world to step back and gasp, cold realization now running through the veins of almost every human being on the planet. In turn, those words were complimented by the images of the Pearl Harbor ruins that were being broadcast in the background of his declaration, all recorded live from after the battle itself. **"By our hand we have delivered a grand gesture: a raging hellfire upon this callous and oppressive empire for all the world to see! Countless numbers of Britannia's own have paid for their nation's greed and corruption with their lives, all the while many of the Empire's mightiest warships lay at the bottom of the harbor and the island itself burns in their collective pyre! And thus, this evening is the most glorious evening yet in the history of our people."**

Yet another dramatic pause as he flickered his cloak. **"From here on, I and those who follow me shall fight against all those who abuse their power! Whether they be Britannian or European, Russian or Chinese, it is for their avarice that they will suffer our wrath!**

**"Therefore once again, here and now, I... no, WE declare war on the Holy Britannian Empire and all of those who stand beside it! As the main instigator of the Devastation of Japan as well as the Second Great World War, we who have suffered from the Empire's corruption will act in the manner of the Four Horsemen and rain Conquest, War, Famine and Death upon this evil nation, until its crimes are paid in full! That will be the struggle. In that supreme emergency we shall not hesitate to take every step, even the most drastic, to call forth from our people the last ounce and the last inch of effort of which they are capable. The interests of property, the hours of labor, are nothing compared with the struggle of life and honor, for right and freedom, to which we have vowed ourselves. And in our renewed crusade, we will not tire, we will not falter, and we will not fail; whether it last one year, ten years or even a hundred years, we will continue our fight to the bitter end, when we march on the Imperial Capital once more and dictate Britannia's unconditional surrender from the Emperor himself!"**

Upon that word, Zero once again reached his hand out, as if offering it. **"To those who wish to join us in our war for justice, we welcome you! We have before us an ordeal of the most grievous kind. We have before us many, many long months of struggle and of suffering. You ask, what is our policy? I can say: It is to wage war, by sea, land and air, with all our might and with all the strength given to us; to wage war against a monstrous tyranny, never surpassed in the dark, lamentable catalogue of human crime. That is our policy. You ask, what is our aim? I can answer in one word: It is victory, victory at all costs, victory in spite of all terror, victory, however long and hard the road may be; for without victory, there is no survival. Victory not just for our people but for the rest of the world! We shall bring them to their knees, cut off their head, and pierce their hearts!"**

And with that, his outstretched hand closed into a fist, the leather glove making a dull crunching sound as the fingers enclosed. **"Rejoice to the meek children of the world! The blood of your oppressors will flow and centuries of tyranny will finally come to an end! Tomorrow the sun will rise on a new world, and a new people forged from the ashes of the Devastation! They shall call us by many names; we shall be known as terrorists, extremists, radicals, and even invoke the name of the beast itself. But soon they shall call us nothing for there is none left to brandish those words against us. They shall fear me, like a force of nature, a dealer in shadow and death.**

**"For I say unto you: I am Zero! We are the Black Knights! And we have...!"** the masked revolutionary shouted before thrusting his fist into the air and crying out with all of his being.

"...**RETURNED!"**

* * *

**Britannian **_**Logres**_**-class air battleship **_**Magnificent  
**_**County of Crusoe, Area 7 (Sandwich Islands), Holy Britannian Empire  
April 11, 2025 a.t.b.**

To the occupants of the _Magnificent_'s bridge, that last word might as well have been the sound of a gunshot. The entirety of the bridge crew, as well as Schneizel's own personal guard, could only stare in clear horror at the bridge's main monitor, a horror that completely dwarfed what they had held before, upon coming here and finding the wreckage of their once proud naval basin. For several moments after, nobody spoke, until Kanon finally uttered a single sentence, his voice trembling throughout. _"How...?"_

The desperate inquiry hung in the air like a foul odor, further punctuating the horror that was present amongst those gathered, as well as indirectly signifying the thoughts that were more than likely now running across every Britannian's mind, both those now holding watch over what had once been Pearl Harbor and those elsewhere. It was truly a terrible sight to behold, seeing so many in one place holding the same horrified thousand yard stare, asking the same horrific question in their minds, and much more, wondering what would happen further down the line.

And yet, one man stood out amongst their number. Remaining seated in the throne-like command chair at the rear of the bridge and completely unnoticed by the rest of those present, Schneizel held no evidence of horror or bewilderment in his form. Instead, all that could be seen upon his face was the deep gaze that was locked onto the masked phantom upon the monitor toward the front; a gaze that showed a mixture of discontention and intrigue while completely lacking the horror and fear that those around him were showing. Underneath that gaze, his mind, ever restless and ever calculating, analyzed the events at hand.

_And so, the Black King reveals himself at last. _he thought poetically, resisting the urge to smile amidst the current company and emotional atmosphere. Everything was clear now, even more than it had been in the aftermath of the Pendragon strike when he had accurately deduced that his enemy were the Black Knights. The enemy's agenda in Pendragon itself, the Black Battleship's miraculous escape from his trap, the two pronged attack on both Kimmel's fleet and Pearl itself; it all centered around the very man that Schneizel saw before him, the man that had brilliantly led a campaign of insurrection against Britannia and nearly liberated a nation. And from this broadcast alone, Schneizel had no doubts that the masked phantom on that screen was the genuine article; only those with a proper appreciation of theatrics would understand how such a "playact", as it were, could simultaneously inspire fear to one side of a conflict and hope to another, especially when made immediately after the battle had taken place. And if there was one thing Schneizel knew about Zero, it was he was an outright connoisseur of theatrics.

This of course meant one single thing to Schneizel, one thing that mattered to him far more than anything else: the game had changed, truly and undoubtedly. For Schneizel, everything that mattered in life, whether be it war or politics, social standing or outright survival, was a game, and the current war that encompassed the Earth was no exception to him. And in these games, any move could be a game changer, any tactic or strategy could alter the course of the board and morph a destined winner into a fated loser, as well as vice versa. However, this was the first time that, again for Schneizel, the game had changed to such a degree, enough to hold great effect over him and make him question what would have been his and Britannia's assured victory.

Now he no longer faced half-witted Generals or egotistical politicians that thought they could run wars. Nor did he no longer face a half-beaten army that was in continuous retreat as with the state militaries of the EU, nor broken remnants of a former order that had lost all hope of triumph as with the Chinese Liberation Army. No, the man before him, the man that had labeled himself Zero and hid his face from the world, was a man that was truly attuned to warfare and victory, just as his own armies were attuned to fighting and winning their battles. Together they made an opposing force that was indeed worthy of Schneizel's own praise, as well as his desire to completely destroy. Collectively the perfect opponent to face the White King and his own army on the chessboard.

And that of course, led to another question that rang out in Schneizel's mind: what was Zero's next move? What next course of action would he take in his renewed war against Britannia? Obviously he would not make another strike against the Britannian homeland or any such direct moves, now that all the world knew of his existence as well as that of the Black Knights'. That only left the option of afflicting Britannia's forces abroad, which would in turn create a greater support base from the newly liberated Numbers for the Black Knights to employ, but how would Zero go about that? Would he stick to hit-and-run tactics as were utilized in Pendragon and here at Pearl, snuffing out Britannian bases in Europe and Asia one at a time before disappearing back into the shadows? Or would he simply join with a larger force, such as the EU, and work aside them in their own campaigns?

Either way though, until Zero did actually make his next move, Schneizel could only guess at his agenda now and how he did plan on accomplishing all those things he had just proclaimed. In that case, he would have to be patient and see what would happen for the time being, before creating a new strategy for which to trap and eliminate Zero and his army of black and silver avengers, as well as the survivors of Area 11 that supported them, once and for all. And even then, he would have to do it with the Emperor looking over his shoulder, just as His Majesty had done the following night; that alone made Schneizel's stomach actually turn, something that Zero's reemergence and declaration of war had failed to do.

_At least there's one thing that has worked in my favor from all of this..._ Schneizel thought, finally allowing himself to grin.

_The game has finally become interesting._

* * *

Slumped in his temporary quarters aboard the _Magnificent_'s, freshly stripped out of his pilot suit and holding an equally fresh cup of coffee in hand, Gino visibly shivered as he watched the speech come to a close, quickly followed by the sound of cheering from beyond the camera. Against every ounce of his being, he had kept his eyes glued to the screen and listened to the masked man's words, all the while ignoring the sting left behind from the earlier defeat. And even as the speech ended and the thunderous cheers and applause began, he retained his gaze and listened.

Amongst the cheers of Zero's various followers, some crying out in Japanese while others shouted in English, his far sharper than average hearing could just pick out the "Remember Japan!"s and the "Hail Zero!"s amongst the other chants. This in turn caused his memory to flashback to another speech that had been made not too long ago. A speech that, much like this one, had been made in the aftermath of a tragedy, in which the speaker spoke of inequality, progress and evolution, and had militantly ushered those before him together, causing them to cry out in unison "All Hail Britannia!". It was only at that memory that Gino chose to look away and finally allow himself to cringe; two entirely different speeches before the world, both holding to two entirely different sets of things, yet it seemed like they were spoken by similar people before a similar audience.

And yet again, he felt that voice nagging at him, reminding him that the one who had just spoken represented an army of formerly oppressed survivors who had literally lost everything they had, and that the country that they had just declared war on had been the one responsible throughout. Gino felt his heart become heavy as he thought about that, while the same voice once more reminded him that he was on the side of the aggressor, and that everything he done and will do from now on would be for the aggressor's benefit. And at that knowledge, the Knight of Three felt his body tighten all over, but he still refused to give into the voice.

"It doesn't matter how justified they are." he muttered to himself, trying to silence the voice. "All the Black Knights will do, all Zero will do, is mess up this world even further than it is now!"

Indeed, the last thing the world needed now was another vengeful army out to conquer it. It had been bad enough with Britannia and its drive through Europe and Asia, made even worse by the EU's activities throughout. But now there was another faction involved, one that had been renowned for invoking chaos wherever it went, as well as led by the devil incarnate himself. Two thousand, four hundred and two men and women had died from their attack on Pearl alone; how many more would die as they went to war against Britannia, and how much damage to the Earth would be done in the process? At the very least, Gino had enough reason to fight the Black Knights for that reason alone, to prevent them from causing further harm to an already beleaguered world.

_So..._ the voice in his head, his conscience, countered._ You say you'll fight against one army to prevent any more death and damage, all for the benefit of another army that has already done great amounts of both?_

Gino inwardly growled as he felt his resolve begin to break again, in turn throwing himself against his bunk. Immediately his mind raced to counter that voice, claiming that regardless of what Britannia had done in the past, the Black Knights were still the more volatile and unstable of the two, and therefore the more dangerous. Britannia might have caused the Devastation, but that didn't guarantee Zero wouldn't repeat it somewhere else.

Deep down however, Gino knew he was only grasping for straws, as the other side of the argument's point still stood. It certainly didn't help that Gino remembered that for all the people that had died at Pendragon and Pearl, most of them were soldiers as opposed to civilians, and that while the Black Knights did have the capability to have leveled either places with those sakuradite based missiles alone, they refrained to do so on either occasion. But then he thought, how long would that last with the enemy, before they decided that leveling cities and killing innocents wholesale was a more practical means to fighting their war?

At that point however, he decided he wouldn't think any more on the matter; he had done his part for Emperor and Country during the last battle, so for the time being Zero, the Black Knights, Britannia and the whole war itself could go take a flying leap. And if the world could not do without the Knight of Three for at least a few hours, well, then such a world only deserved to fall into ruin.

* * *

"You summoned for me, Lady Alstreim?" spoke the young Lieutenant as he stood at picture perfect attention before the Knight of Six.

Anya did not respond, but instead continued typing on the laptop computer she had been given by request; at the moment she was updating her personal website over the recent events at hand. The Lieutenant, in turn, did well to remain at attention in spite of his curiosity over what exactly the Knight of Six was typing; after all, one did not break from posture in the presence of a Knight of the Round until ordered to. For some time it remained like that, with only the sounds of keystrokes breaking the silence between the knight and the officer.

However, after that time passed, Anya paused her typing and took another moment to look over what she had written. Then when she reached the bottom line of the last paragraph, she closed her eyes and let out what was close to a dejected sigh. "I can't write like this." she spoke, sounding as frustrated as an emotionlessly taciturn woman could sound like. "Not without actually _feeling_, and I can't do that while you're still inside of me."

At that last part, the Lieutenant looked down, confusion completely over his expression. "Ma'am...?"

"Besides..." she spoke, still in monotone. _"I want to talk to you directly anyway."_

Before the Lieutenant could inquire any further, Anya suddenly looked back up and opened her eyes, revealing to each hold a glowing red bird-like sigil in their irises. The very last thing the hapless Britannian officer saw was the Knight of Six gazing directly at him, with the sigils seemingly coming alive and flying directly at him.

Illuminate scarlet rings freshly placed around the young man's eyes, Marianne let out a breath of air as she stretched the Lieutenant's arms outward. "Ah, it's good to be out every once in a while." she spoke in a lighter and disturbingly more feminine version of the man's voice. Upon hearing "herself" speak, she sighed. "But really, couldn't you have gotten me a _female _host? Men are always so awkward to possess."

No answer came however, as Anya was preoccupied clutching her head in her hands, her small body shaking with near violent intensity, all the while what sounded like barely contained cries escaped from her. Upon observing her predicament, Marianne frowned. "I told you, my power only _suppresses _the emotion of a host; when I'm out, there's nothing to hold those feelings back any more. And it doesn't help that you just came out of a battle..."

_"DAMN YOU!" _Anya cried out while tears streamed from her eyes; far more emotion than anyone would have expected the Knight of Six to display. Had these been normal circumstances anyway.

Sighing again, Marianne walked forward, slowly removed the computer from Anya's lap and placed it to her side. She then moved over to the opposite side, sat down and placed a comforting hand on the overcome Knight of the Round's back, trying to soothe some of the tension off. "So..." she began, keeping her own tone light as not to upset Anya further. "...what did you want to talk to me about?"

It took a little more time for Anya to calm down, to let the energy run out of her now wild and free emotions, but once she managed to get herself into a relatively stable mood, she answered. "Those images I saw, when that knightmare made direct contact with the _Mordred_." she spoke evenly now, though there was still a tinge of anger. "Those were _your _memories, weren't they?"

Marianne blinked at the inquiry. "Yes they were." she replied. "What are they to you?"

Anya looked at up in her with a deep leer. "What do they mean to me...?" she repeated the question with an edge. "For fifteen years since you first possessed my body, I've had to live without my own memories, and you still ask me that...!"

"Well..." Marianne took a moment to choose her words carefully. "...it's not like you'll be able to find any usage out of them, unless you want to write my biography on that website of yours."

The Knight of Six responded by slamming her fist onto her leg. "I can't remember anything!" she nearly shouted. "Where I was born, who my parents are, if I have any brothers or sisters, where I went to school, or even if 'Anya Alstreim' is my real name!"

Again she looked up at the "late" Empress with teary eyes. "And when I finally _do_ get to 'remember' something, anything, those memories turn out to belong to someone else!" she glowered. "Can't you understand how I feel! What it's like to remember _nothing_ beyond the last eight years, only to live someone else's memories, someone else's _life_, in just a few seconds!"

Marianne said nothing, instead rubbing her borrowed hand along Anya's back, soothing her in that motherly form most people had associated to her. Of course, Anya knew that for all of her gifts and talents, Marianne was anything _but _a good mother; good mothers didn't allow their children to live in the belief that they were dead, nor did they put their surviving children aside for whatever grand scheme to be involved in. But even so, Anya allowed herself to relax into the Empress' touch, even if it was with a man's hand, thereby causing the tension to drain away.

"What you saw before..." Marianne suddenly inquired after a few minutes, a little more directly than Anya liked. "Can you remember any of it?"

Anya blinked for a second in an attempt to recall, but then she shook her head. "No, it's all gone." she moaned. "It's like waking up from a dream. You know you went to sleep before and had dreamed something, but when you wake up, you can't remember what the dream was."

"Heh." Marianne replied, covering a sigh of relief while simultaneously changing the subject. "An apt description, just as I would expect from a talented writer. If you weren't a Knight of the Round, you would have made a good poet or novelist."

"Just tell me one thing, 'Your Majesty'..." Anya quietly snapped, being in no mood for that kind of conversation. Instead, she looked back up at Marianne with fire behind her eyes and went straight to the point. "How much longer do I have to live like this?"

Despite the intensity behind that question, Marianne smiled reassuringly. "Not much longer my dear." she spoke. "As I promised you, once the Emperor's plans are complete, both your body and your memories will be returned to you, and you will be free to do as you wish from then on."

Slowly, she tilted Anya's head up so that she stared directly into the Lieutenant's eyes, and the Knight of Six did well not to flinch from the eerie gaze they cast, especially when illuminated by Geass. "But for now, you must remain patient and continue being my vessel and the Knight of Six. For my sake, as well as Lelouch's."

The utterance of that name caused Anya to look away as a tinge of red came across her face. It figured that the undead witch of an Empress would know of the crush she had been nursing for her son all this time, just as it also figured that she would use it to her advantage, eliciting all sorts of emotions from within her. In a drive to push those emotions back, the Knight of Six reach out and tapped a key on her computer, revealing a Youtube page which held Zero's declaration. With another tap of a key, Anya began replaying the video, though at lowered volume. "I don't suppose _this _has anything to do with 'the Emperor's plan' as well?"

"It could." Marianne replied with an air of bemusement. "Though I remember also telling you something else: that you were better off not thinking about such things."

"Even though I already know you have some kind of supernatural power and have been using it on me?" she stated bluntly. "Even though I already know you're involved in some big, dark conspiracy to...how did you put it...save humanity from complete destruction?"

"Yes, and you only know those things because it is necessary for you to." Marianne stated in turn. "Beyond either of those however, I assure you, _you do not want to involve yourself_."

"And I haven't." Anya replied, anger welling up now. "I've behaved like a good little Regan McNeil clone, continuing to be the Knight of Six by day, while by night you use my body for god knows what." she narrowed her gaze in return. "But even so, I'd like to think I've earned some right to 'be in the know'."

Marianne frowned, but decided the girl deserved a break. "Very well then. _Yes_, the return of Zero and the Black Knights are part of the plan, as is their declaration of war against Britannia. Beyond that however, it's better for both of us that you do not know anything else."

"Not even if they're supposed to win in the end?" Anya demanded.

"Not even if they're supposed to survive past this point." Marianne stated firmly. "The only thing that need concern you is the plan is moving forward, which means you'll get your body and memories back sooner now."

Anya glowered in response. "That's unfair."

Marianne only smiled in turn. "I think you and I can agree that life..." she looked back at her borrowed hands. "...and _fate _are both sadistically unfair."

Silence reigned between the two for a brief moment, before Anya closed her eyes again. "Fine." she replied, before slipping the computer onto her lap. "I'll need a few minutes alone, to finish this page."

The "dead" Empress arched an eyebrow. "You sure you want to write at this time? After all you've been through...?"

_"I need to!" _Anya snapped again, once more near the verge of tears as all the accumulated feeling leftover from the battle reemerged. "I just witnessed and endured one of the greatest defeats Britannia had seen since Trafalgar! I saw firsthand an entire fortress laid to waste, four of our airships destroyed or disabled...and three Knights of the Round defeated in battle!"

She took a moment to calm herself down again. "I need to write this, both for myself and for those at home that have lost loved ones. And in order for it to be relevant to both me and them, I need to _feel_; so that I may put those feelings into my words."

"Heh, again very apt." Marianne said, having her new body stand up. "In that case, I guess I can have the Lieutenant hear go for a coffee break..."

Anya looked up at her in annoyance, though once more she managed to fight back the tension. "I think a 'pea soup break' would be more appropriate."

Marianne sighed at that comment. "You know, I would rather you _not _compare me to a demon." she said, only for another thought to occur to her. "But then I supposed I'm not much of an angel either."

"Angels don't take possession of little girls." Anya shot back. "Neither are they what priests tend to exorcize."

The Empress only shrugged. They called her son the Demon King, so it would only make sense for her to be a demon herself. "Don't disappoint." she said simply, before finally making way out of the room.

With her gone, Anya quickly brought her webpage back up and deleted her entire previous entry. Upon seeing the resulting blank page, she again remembered exactly what she was about to write on, causing her to cringe once again as the emotions threatened to resurface in her. _Yes, as this hurts, I need to feel it._ she thought, flexing her fingers over the keys. _Pain, fear, fury, sorrow...everything a human feels upon defeat. I need to feel all of them and savor them..._

She then looked back at her page as a tear slowly ran down from her right eye. _Before I stop_ feeling_ again..._

And with that last thought, she began to type, all the while the video of Zero's declaration continued to play in the background.

* * *

**Xiaopei Fortress  
Duchy of Jiangsu, Area 22 (China), Holy Britannian Empire  
April 12, 2025 a.t.b.**

Situated toward the eastern Chinese coast, the land of Xiaopei had a long and many times troubled history. First settled and established during the Han Dynasty, Xiaopei was originally a small farming village under the jurisdiction of the Xu Province, and was a frequently visited site by governor Tao Qian. It was in this area where legendary general Liu Bei initially stationed his army to support Tao Qian against ambitious warlord Cao Cao, and years later Liu Bei, having seceded Tao Qian in governorship of Xu, would return to this area once more to flee the wrath of his usurper Lu Bu, who had just days before launched a coup in the capital city Xiapi.

In the modern day, just over a thousand years later however, Xiaopei was little more than a barren desert. The land, for whatever fertility and resources it once possessed, was now completely dried up, while the original town now only existed in deserted ruin, its inhabitance having moved on to other parts of the country long ago. Plants no longer grew here, and animals no longer dwelled here. A complete wasteland through and through, just like the rest of China by extension.

The reason for this, as it were, was strewn out across the land as far as the eye could see. Since its inception a lifetime ago, the Chinese Federation had overharvested this land and many others like it for vital crops and resources in order to increase its economic base, leading to artificial soil degradation and faulty irrigation all throughout the territory. Initially, the government tried to cover for this by applying a new form of irrigation soil across the area, but shoddy construction and the inferior materials used to create the soil all but completely assured nothing would ever grow from this land again. In the end, specifically in the aftermath of the Second Sino-Japanese War, the Chinese, in an effort to conserve whatever budget they had left, decided to cut their losses and completely abandon the area, evacuating the local populace elsewhere and leaving the rest to nature. And so it was that Xiaopei existed now, in long abandoned and completely forgotten ruin.

And it was for these reasons, among several others, that this land was now home to the Chinese Liberation Army. The forgotten lands and ruins of China, the places that no one, not even the daring Britannians, ever went or searched through; these were the places that the CLA indeed called home, and Xiaopei was far from an exception.

While the surface of Xiaopei was indeed a desolate and hopeless setting, what lay underneath it was a far different type of landscape: a series of metal catacombs, hangars and storage bays that were merged together complete an entire fortress, one large enough to literally hold an army. While one catacomb might have held knightmare frames and some of China's former landship fleet in makeshift hangars, another catacomb would be used for barracks and recreational areas, as well as training grounds for new recruits. These catacombs in turn were spread out across the entirety of Xiaopei, ensuring that no matter what the number of soldiers and vehicles would be, there would always be room enough to hold them here until the next battle. Yes, it was here that the last remnants of the China's military force, the People's Liberation Army, dwelled and prepared for the continued struggle, as well as found safe haven from the chaos that had encompassed the surface. It was here that the war, for whatever direction it was moving, continued on.

Only now, for the first time in years, it seemed as though the war had finally turned toward a hopeful direction. Throughout the base, Zero's image and metallic voice rang out on whatever screen was used to project him, and wherever that was, CLA soldiers would gather and watch with waiting hearts as the freshly undead phantom made his statements to the world. Such as it was in Xiaopei's central command post, where in the central meeting room, the commanders and higher officers had watched as the Demon King had declared his renewed war against their own hated enemy.

"I have to admit, he sure leaves an impression." a rather portly looking officer with an elongated brown beard and bangs, dressed in the CLA's standard issue red and black uniform and bearing both a peaked cap and the rank insignia of a full General, whistled impressed. "First Pendragon, now Pearl Harbor? That's one helluva 'grand gesture'."

"Don't tell me you actually admire this _hun dan_, General Hong." spoke another officer amongst those gathered.

Major General Hong Gu, Field Commander of the CLA, immediately twisted around and fixed that particular officer an arched eyebrow. "And why shouldn't I admire the man who just wiped out the most heavily fortified Britannian base in the pacific Major?" he replied back inquisitively. "You have to admit, that and Pendragon were both great accomplishments."

"What I want to know is what does this mean for us." another officer spoke up, a tinge of uncertainty in his voice. "He spoke of the Britannians here as well as the traitors from the _Guowuyan_... Does that mean the Black Knights will be coming here as well?"

"I really hope not." yet another spoke up with agitation. "We already have enough problems to deal with. We don't need Zero and his _jun dai _interfering and making things worse."

"How would their interference make things worse exactly? Surely whatever they could do to Calares' forces would be to our benefit." spoke another just as blatantly.

"We don't even know if they would ally with us to begin with!" the previous speaker countered. "For all we know, Zero could want us to be wiped out as well!"

Gu sighed as the various officers began to bicker over the subject, so if only to at least try and attempt to settle the matter, he turned around toward another member in the room. "General Zhou..." upon the mention of that name, all the voices went silent. "...you have been rather silent for the last few minutes. Perhaps you could give us your opinion?"

Sitting toward the back of the room, Lieutenant General Zhou Xianglin looked up with a narrowed gaze, her shoulder length brown hair shifting as she did this. It was obvious that she hadn't wished to contribute to discussion at hand, but now that Gu had brought her in, she had no choice. "I believe that if what Zero is speaking is true, then the Black Knights will eventually come here to China." she spoke simply and steadily. "And while I can't say whether they will choose to ally with us or fight the Britannians themselves, whatever harm they inflict on Calares and the Eunuchs will indeed only benefit our cause all the same."

"But what will happen if they do succeed?" someone spoke up again. "Will they reinstall the Federation, or will they create a puppet regime of their own?"

At that, Xianglin's gaze narrowed even further. "As I said, I don't know what choice Zero will make. All we can do now is wait and see..."

"...but not without making our own actions in the meantime Xianglin." a new voice suddenly spoke from the now open doorway.

Immediately all eyes turned to see four people enter the room. At the lead of the group was a single man who, to say the least, everyone gathered was quite familiar with. He had long black hair, hawk-like brown eyes and a relatively muscular physique; all qualities that clearly marked this man as a warrior. He also wore a CLA uniform, but unlike the rest of the officers, his uniform held a distinctive purple color to it instead of the standard red, while intricate gold lines were added along the black portions of his garb. The rank insignia upon the left chest immediately identified him as a Senior General.

"_Da Jiang_!" someone called out in recognition, in turn causing the entire group to rise to their feat at perfect military attention. Even Gu and Xianglin scrambled at the presence of their direct superior, the CLA's legendary military leader and the bane of the Britannian's occupation of China, Senior General Li Xingke.

Beside Xingke, the other three officers each came to his side, all looking toward the assembled group with mild bemusement and curiosity. These three, two men and a woman, in particular were easily definable, but ironically by the similarities they shared with each other: they were all of exact similar height and build, while possessing identical facial structures and hair styles, the latter being long black hair tied in _queues_, each measuring the exact same length. As well, they each wore a gold version of the Chinese uniform, with the rank insignia identifying two as Captains and one as a Major. Yet in spite of these similarities, one was able to distinguish between the three if only by the expressions that they wore: one male wore a taciturn, serious gaze, while the second male wore a more vindictive expression, while the female had an outright violent look to her.

For a short moment, Xingke and his three subordinates simply waited and watched as the last officer finally shifted to perfect attention, thereby completing the line as it were. Once all attention was on him, he continued. "Our spies in Luoyang have reported in: the Britannian command structure is in complete disarray and much confusion has been sewn into their ranks. So regardless of what many of you may think of Zero and the Black Knights, their actions have already influenced our own war."

The General added a cruel smile as he spoke the last part. "In other words, they have presented us a perfect opportunity at this time."

Gu was the first one to catch his superior's intent, and as such was the first to gain a smirk of his own. "What will we be hitting sir?"

"Beijing." Xingke said simply. That single word was more than enough to cause the entire company to light up with attention. "It will be a standard hit-and-run operation of course, as we do not have the manpower to occupy it. Regardless, I trust none of you have objections?"

The question was redundant of course, evident by the near hungry gazes that the cadre were now giving off. There was good reason why: Beijing was one of the most heavily militarized regions of China and was a key sector for Britannia's administration. Normally it would have been suicide to attack there, but now that the Britannians were disoriented, it was made a truly inviting target.

"Good." Xingke stated, nodding in confirmation. "Assemble your commands; we deploy within the hour. _Zhong Guo Jie_!"

"_Zhong Guo Jie_!" the assembled officers acknowledged, before turning and moving out of the room. In turn, Xingke nodded toward his red uniformed subordinates, who returned it before moving out with the rest.

Before he himself departed the room however, Xingke took a moment to look back at the display screen, which now held the still image of Zero, his fist firmly raised upon the completion of his declaration. At that image, Xingke's gaze turned into a baneful glare, before he himself exited the room.

* * *

**Khorasan Base  
South Khorasan, Duchy of Iran, Area 18 (Middle East), Holy Britannian Empire  
April 12, 2025 a.t.b.**

"This is intolerable!" shouted one of the gathered number, his face twisted with great fury, as were the other thirteen out of the fifteen gathered before the single television set in the room, which was now presenting _Al Jazeera_'s news report on the Zero declaration and an Arabic commentator's impression of it. "The _kafirs_ of Japan were supposed to have been purged away! Every last man, woman and child, reduced to ashes for their sins and defiance of _As-Salam_!"

In the his fit of rage, he quickly seized up the tea cup that had been placed in front of him and hurled it across the room, smashing it to pieces against a nearby cavern wall. "And now we learn that they not only defied His wrath and judgment, but they also have struck at the heart of our enemies in our stead!"

"This cannot stand!" another shouted as well. "Our war cannot be tainted by the hands of infidels! Especially one as sinful and as wretched as Zero!"

"That man can only be _Iblis _himself! There is no other way!" yet another roared in equal rage.

And thus continued the "meeting" between the leaders of the last true resistance movement left in Area 18. With the combined vehemence of a thunderstorm in the desert, the fourteen let loose their hatred toward Zero, the Black Knights and the "eastern infidels" in general at one another, all in a mixture of Arabic, Farsi, Urdu and many other languages stemmed in the Middle East since ancient times. To those that could not understand their words or intent, the scene may very well have been considered akin to the squabbling of street thugs or the beginnings of an angry mob, or anything else that _wasn't _a discussion of strategy and tactics in light of recent events as the meeting had originally been called for.

And so, knowing that his words would not have any effect on these men at this time, where their anger was raised and their judgment clouded, General Mohammad Ali Jazari did the only thing he could do: sit back and wait until his fellow commanders expelled their wrath in their shouting matches. From his position at the far end of the room, the General relaxed into his seating mat and remained silent as the tantrums continued to flare; a mountain that stood in the center of a storm. Only one other in the room acted the same, and that was the one sitting at its head; a tall, white bearded man dressed in traditional robes as opposed to military guard, who was now glowering darkly over the other occupants with the same distaste Jazari felt. The same man that all those present both revered, and feared.

But even so, while his body remained still, Jazari's mind was far from at ease, as he once again wondered why, in spite of the fact that he was fighting this war against the western infidels in His name, Allah had chosen to supply this army with these _children _instead of true warriors. Sure, they were all loyal to their holy cause, and if it came down to it were more than willing to martyr themselves, but they were still little more than children in mind and spirit, and it was none more evident than how they were behaving now: choosing to cast their anger in needless displays of aggression instead of taking a step back to look at the situation objectively. This was especially mystifying to Jazari because, like him, they were all former officers and military commanders of the former Middle Eastern Federation, men that had battled against the western Imperialists before and had survived their initial defeats to make their way here. Surely their experience would have gained them the same objective and pragmatic mindset that he possessed, but apparently that was not the case.

Jazari could only sigh as his fellow commanders continued to bicker amongst themselves, his mind drowning out their voices as it recalled exactly how they had ended up at this point. It had only been eight years ago when the Britannians, in their seemingly insatiable lust for conquest, invaded the territories of the Middle Eastern Federation and began subjugating its member nations one after the other. It had only taken three years, three whole years to defeat the combined armies of the MEF and bring the entire Middle East under the heal of a godless, hedonistic empire, and just a little more time afterward to systematically eliminating all possible forms of continued resistance. The Britannians were quite thorough in the latter, as they had specifically targeted and eliminated potential resistance leaders from the beginning, namely former military commanders and religious leaders who promoted _jihad_. Jazari, having been the commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, had been among those targeted, but by the grace of Allah he had survived the initial attempt on his life, though it had left him more than a little wounded and forced him to flee from his homeland of Iran alongside several others, including the man who was now sitting just across from him, the Supreme Leader himself.

It had been from his survival, when virtually all others of his rank and status had ascended into Paradise, that Jazari realized what Allah wished of him: to command an army, a _true_ army that would carry His banner to the last, and bring his wrath back to His enemies. For that divine purpose, Jazari had used his time in exile to gather followers and fellow leaders as well as to gather all weapons that were acquirable, bringing them altogether to create the most organized and capable resistance force in the _Khavarmiyaneh_. Upon its completion, the Supreme Leader, after taking formal and spiritual leadership, had given his blessing and dubbed this newfound army after the great sword of Ali himself: Zulfiqar.

Unfortunately however, for all the glory and divinity that this army represented in this world embroiled in chaos, it soon became apparent that Zulfiqar was far from a professional military force; from all perspectives, it was underequipped, undertrained and tactically unprepared for its mission. While several former soldiers and commanders from the MEF military forces had joined their ranks, the bulk of Zulfiqar's forces were little more than conscripts whose only combat ability was their willingness to die in the name of Allah; the rest were either foreign mercenaries or modern day _ghilman_, slaves abducted from neighboring lands that had been turned into soldiers and now fought for their promised freedom alongside righteousness. As well, while a fair amount of advanced weapons, including knightmares, had been accumulated by one means or another as time went on, Zulfiqar was still technologically lacking compared to the Britannians and Europeans, as well as holding much lesser quantities of such weapons.

And finally, in perhaps the largest disadvantage of all, Zulfiqar lacked true military minds in its command structure, men that could actually command a war effort instead of rabblerousing their subordinates to fight. Most of its leaders, Jazari was sorry to admit, had previously gained their positions in the MEF due to their loyalty to Allah and their respective regimes as opposed to possessing any talents or skills. Due to this fact, Zulfiqar's operations laid primarily in guerilla warfare and espionage, usually in the form of suicide bombings, and while many strides had been made over the years, the lands of Islam were still in the hands of the Britannians and Allah's chosen warriors were still forced to remain in and fight from the shadows.

Overall, the war was not going well for them or Islam as a whole, and as he kept watching the scene in front of him play out, Jizari could understand why that was, as well as why they had lost the previous one. All much to his disgust.

"They must be punished!" raged a portly member of the conference. "Whether by Allah's hand or our own, they must be laid out for their defiance of His divine will!"

"But how?" another one of their number, one of the smarter ones apparently, demanded. "They just wiped out the strongest fortress in the Pacific! With that strength, there's no way we could take them on with our conventional forces!"

"And we don't know the locations of their bases to begin with!" another pointed out. "How can we attack an enemy that we cannot find?"

This only caused one of the more aggressive to fix the latter two with a glare. "Do you fools truly think any of that matters before _Al-Aleem_!" he shouted. "So long as it is His will, we will find them and we will destroy them in the end!"

At long last, it looked as though the bickering was about to turn into a true brawl, and with a growl of frustration Jazari opened his mouth to stop its progress. Before he could utter a single word however, another voice sounded, one that held far greater force behind it than Jazari himself could have hoped for himself. A voice that could only be held by one who spoke for Allah. "And who is to say _that _is His will?"

Upon the sound of this deep Persian voice, the eyes of the fourteen before him suddenly turned back to glance at their leader. Whatever rage that had been held was now diminished, quelled before the indirect command of Grand Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, former Supreme Leader of Iran, now founder and patriarch of Zulfiqar. "Who is to say that the hand of _Al-Fattah _does not move in a different direction from which you speak?"

"What other direction can there be Ayatollah?" one questioned with a slight tremble to his tone. "His commands are clear: all unbelievers are to be punished and sent to the blaze!"

"This is true." Khomeini nodded in agreement. "And yet, in spite of the destruction of their land and the deaths of their kin, these particular unbelievers have been spared the blaze, if only for a little longer. Perhaps, that in itself, was part of His will?"

All fourteen faces, including Jazari, blanched in disbelief. "Are you saying that Allah _protected _these vermin!"

Despite the ferocity of the question, Khomeini nodded knowingly at that. "Far be it for me to use the words of our enemies, but 'the Lord works in mysterious ways.'" he spoke. "Indeed, I firmly believe that it was only by Allah's grace that some had survived Japan's destruction and continue to dwell on this earth. Just as I also believe that it was by Allah's grace that Zero also remains."

Immediately one began to sit up to voice his disdain, but Jazari silenced him by raising a hand, commanding him to retake his seat. When that man complied, the Ayatollah continued. "Yes, my children, we all know that Allah does not value the cursed unbelievers, and has tasked us, His loyal soldiers, to send them to the fires of Hell itself. However, that does not mean He is not willing to _use _unbelievers for his own purposes; he had done so long ago, to indirectly spread the words and teachings of the Prophet across Mecca, as well as in modern times, to spread discord amongst their own."

Khomeini continued with his point. "This time, His plans are just as clear: Allah wishes to use _these _unbelievers to vanquish His enemies directly, to provide us the means to bring about His glory. And that is how we will take to them." the others listened with even greater earnest. "When the time is right, we will reach out to Zero and his minions under the guise of an alliance, so that they may come here to wage their war against the Britannians."

"An alliance!" one barked, his anger momentarily overcoming his fear and reverence for Khomeini. "You expect us to vanquish one band of infidels by fighting alongside _another_!"

At that point, Jazari and the other thirteen held their breaths, as they fully expected that man to suddenly stop breathing in the next few seconds. As much a representative of divinity as he was, the Ayatollah was not a man that tolerated insubordination, and many souls had ascended into Heaven as a result of his wrath and reprisal. As such, it would have been no surprise then if Khomeini had commanded his other followers to execute the one who had just spoken out; the same man that, upon reading the atmosphere in the room, suddenly realized his mistake and turned white with fear.

However, aside from fixing a fierce, steely glare on that man, Khomeini made no such commands or harmful actions on his own part. Instead, he closed his eyes and nodded again, this time in understanding. "Yes, I know how vile my words may sound to you. I too do not appreciate the very idea of calling such sinful creatures our allies." he stated, in a calmer voice. "However, we must remember that it is not for _our_ glory that we fight, but for _His_, and if He wills us, then we are tasked to obey him."

As he spoke the next few words, his voice began regaining strength. "And so it shall be." He commanded, gesturing with his right hand. "In our right hands we will hold the olive branch, and promote peace and goodwill to them. In battle we will fight side by side, in the same manner as we would our own brethren, and outside of battle we will celebrate our victories with one another. As time goes on, they will come to see us not as mere allies, but as friends and kindred spirits; after all, our two peoples have suffered similar travesties from our enemies."

After a minute of consideration, one of the fourteen spoke up again. "And after the war...?"

He then gestured with his left hand. "And in our left hands we will hold the _jambiya_, so that when the time comes, when our 'allies' willingly drop their guards and turn their backs towards us..." to emphasize the point, he brought both hands together, with the fisted left smashing against the palm of his right. "...we will deliver unto them His wrath."

An atmosphere of bloodlust was felt throughout the room, as the gazes cast by the assembled suddenly turned _hungry_, like starved men observing a piece of meat. It was from those gazes that Jazari knew that their leader's words had reached their hearts, and he himself let a smile linger form on his own face in recognition of it.

"However..." Khomeini continued, as he sat back and relaxed again. "Now is not the time. As Habib has pointed out, we do not know where the Black Knights are dwelling, and therefore we have no way to reach out to them. And in turn, they are not yet in a position to support us, nor do we know if they would be willing to do so now."

"Then what can we do Ayatollah?" one more asked.

Khomeini folded his hands into his lap. "We will continue our _jihad _as we always have. You will all maintain your divisions and strike at our enemies the same as before. Only now you will do so in wait, until the promised day."

The force behind the Grand Ayatollah's voice only deepened upon those words, until it seemed like the room reverberated to its vehemence. And once again, those who beheld the Ayatollah's words shown with fear. "...the day that He will deliver to Zulfiqar the keys to victory. _Allahu Ackbar_."

* * *

**Volga Military District Headquarters  
Yekaterinburg, Russian Confederation, European Union  
April 12, 2025 a.t.b.**

The wind howled across the darkened sky as the first traces of bitter rain began to fall. Despite the fact it was early April, the coming storm held all the fury and cold of a Russian blizzard in its build, almost as if the last vestiges of winter were now reaching out over the city of Yekaterinburg, holding one last hurrah before the warmer climates of Spring set in. As a result, were it not for the lighted buildings that made up the city of Yekaterinburg, the entire area would surely have been plunged into the night. A frightening notion to some, but at this time it would have been a preference for one other.

Standing in the midst of the night and the storm, Field Marshal Georgy Konstantinovich Zhukov, Supreme Commander of the Russian State Forces, could only let out a breath of cold as he continued to observe the city from the balcony outside the main office of the HQ. While those who inhabited the buildings had long since took shelter from the bitter freezing wind and rain, the grizzled, seasoned commander-in-chief of all of Russia's military forces, characterized by his aged yet well structured face and the single whitened burn mark across his left eye, had decided that now as the perfect time to get a breath of air as well as a moment to himself, if only to think. And he had _much _to think about, as symbolized by the still active television set back in the office, which was currently tuned to Russia 24, where news anchorwoman Galina Zakharova was reporting on the certain recent events. The transposed image of Zero holding his fist held up high in the background only inspired more reason for Zhukov to take the moment to consider.

As the voice of the blonde newswoman carried out from the office and into the outside to Zhukov's ears, the Marshal let out an airy sigh, which formed into a small white cloud in front of his mouth. The wind seemed to pick up after that action, as he felt his grey uniform greatcoat rustle from a sudden gust, in turn causing him to tuck his gloved hands into the coat pockets for additional warmth. It was times like these where Zhukov truly felt old and powerless, an old general standing in the middle of a new battlefield meant for younger and more capable men than himself. And once again, that still image of Zero on the television screen, raising his fist in triumph while declaring his renewed war against Britannia, certainly didn't help Zhukov's spirits, outside the knowledge that a critical blow was struck against Russia's hated enemy anyway.

Much like the rest of the EU's war against Britannia, the Russian Front of the war could only be characterized by a series of setbacks and failures. From the initial landings of the eastern coast and the conquest of Vladivostok to the recent occupations of Abakan and Kyzyl, the Britannian legion had all but entirely marched on Russia with imperative, while the beleaguered Russian forces fought back to barely hold the line. Yes, the Britannians had yet to conquer all of the Motherland, and with Zhukov leading the fight they would _definitely _not be able to so easily, but he and the rest of Europe all knew it was only a matter of time before the Imperials marched on Moscow and established their newest Area.

Certainly the Britannians weren't winning because Russians were weak soldiers; from as far back as the time of Peter the Great, Russians had been both skilled and resolute fighters who had seen their fair shares of war as time went on. In modern times, Russia held the largest military force in all the EU, as well as one of the most disciplined, organized and highly trained; sure, most of this came from Russia's emulation of German doctrines, which in itself was a common practice amongst the other European states, but one could argue Russia did this far better than any of its neighbors to the west. From these things, Russia was an entire force to be reckoned with in battle, especially in its own territory; the fact Britannia had yet to conquer the entirety of Russia, even though it was the first European country to be invaded in this new war, was testament to the nation's will to resist.

Despite that however, Russia also held one of the most underequipped military forces in the EU; its military industrial complex was highly underdeveloped and totally incapable of supporting itself, while Russia's technology base was also as lacking due to the great shortage of innovators and developers over the decades. As a result of these two factors, Russia was forced to rely on Western European for its armaments, and while the other states were more than willing to give Russia whatever it needed, the bureaucrats of Nuremberg preferred to focus the weapons flow back home as opposed to the EU's "outer" member states toward the east and south. Because of this and many other factors, Russia had fought its war with little to no support from the outside, and was systematically being beaten back by a combination of attrition and superior fighting power in the hands of the Britannians.

Zhukov soon found himself tilting his head and squeezing his eyes shut as that line of thinking continued; the sight of a man who indeed knew he was fighting a losing war. A man who, in spite of all of his gifts a soldier and a commander, felt truly powerless in the face of his enemies, entirely unable to change the tide of the war while knowing that his nation would soon fall. All that, while elsewhere in the world, a once dead army led by a once dead revolutionary struck at the very heart of his enemies, gaining the victories and triumphs in little more than two weeks that Zhukov was unable to gain in five years.

As such, it was only too fitting that he stood out in the cold now, just as a certain past leader, as well as a man that Zhukov had admired since childhood, had done in the face of his own losing war. At times like these, he wondered if George Washington had felt the same things he felt now, as he made his famous prayer at Valley Forge.

"_Otets_." Zhukov heard a voice speak behind him, causing him to look up from his thoughts. Behind a young man with cropped brown hair, dark blue eyes and the picturesque profile of a youthful Russian soldier stepped out of the office, the wind also causing his own military greatcoat to flutter. The rank tabs on the greatcoat's collar indicated the man as a Lieutenant Colonel.

Zhukov allowed himself to smile at the man's presence. "I thought you would be celebrating with the rest Andrei."

With a flat smile of his own, Colonel Andrei Georgyevich Zhukov, commander of the elite 30th Guards Knight Division, regarded the man standing on the balcony. The man who was both his father and his superior officer. "I do not have the stomach for victory celebrations, especially when the victory is not ours." he spoke, stepping out to stand beside Zhukov. "Besides, I figured you would like the company."

Truthfully, Zhukov had preferred to be alone, but as long as it was his son beside him, he didn't mind. "Have we heard anything from Nuremberg or Moscow yet?"

At that, Andrei's smile disappeared off his face. "Unfortunately, yes to both." he said bitterly, as he reached into his coat pocket to produce a flask of vodka. "It hasn't reached the news, but Zero's declaration has incited a fair amount of people; riots and protests against the current administrations are breaking out all over Europe."

Zhukov closed his eyes as the information sunk in. "How many here?"

Andrei was just as grim, as he took a sip of the vodka. "Archangelsk, Kirov, Kursk, Chechnya, Murmansk... pretty much the whole of our western frontier. Prime Minister Trotsky has just declared a state of emergency, as well as martial law throughout the Confederation."

"Heh." Zhukov laughed bitterly, once more looking out at the storm. At that point, Andrei offered him the flask, and so the General took a swig of his own. "Well, at least we have the benefit of this storm; what's the point of protesting when even the weather is not on your side?" a thought then occurred to him. "What about Volgograd?"

At the mention of that name, Andrei's expression became all the grimmer. "Nothing, as usual." he spoke, feeling a chill run down his spine. "We can only hope that no one is _stupid_ enough to speak out, not while _they _are there."

Zhukov nodded in agreement, as an image came to mind of soldiers, all dressed in darker shaded renditions of the EU uniform that bore distinctive twin rune-like insignia somewhere on their person, marched upon the city alongside an assembly of knightmares and combat vehicles, much to the unified terror of the observing citizens. The Russian General did well to force that image out of his head as he handed the flask back; like it or not, there was nothing he could do about it right now, and he had other things to worry about anyway. "You mentioned hearing news from Nuremberg as well."

"Yes." Andrei answered, knowing that his father had deliberately changed the subject back. "President Goebbels is calling an emergency meeting in the Hemicycle, obviously to discuss the EU's stance on Zero and the Black Knights. The meeting should take place within the hour, and it will be televised; I don't suppose you'll want to watch it?"

"What for?" Zhukov replied. "It's just going to be a stage act for the citizens of the EU, both to calm them and reassure them that their 'elected' officials are talking about the problem." he looked back out in the darkened sky. "In reality, Goebbels has long decided the EU's stance."

"And what is that?" Andrei questioned.

Zhukov sighed. "I do not pretend to know what's really going on in that tyrant's head, but if I had to guess, he'll have the EU take a neutral position for the time being. From there, he'll wait and see what the Black Knights do next before determining if they're a threat or not."

"...wouldn't it be wiser to seek an alliance with the Black Knights?" Andrei inquired. "Surely they could greatly aid us against the Imperials."

"They could, but you have to remember that Zero spoke out against Nuremberg in his declaration. Yes, he didn't declare hostilities on them directly, but he still labeled them as cowardly and inept..." Zhukov explained.

"...which they are." Andrei added.

Zhukov continued. "Regardless, that will not gain him favor with the Council of Forty, nor will the declaration that he will not necessarily fight against Britannia alone. Our 'beloved' President will surely see that as a challenge to his power; the question is how much of a challenge."

Upon that explanation, Andrei found himself groaning at the thought of it all. "You know, sometimes I think the secessionists are right." he stated. "Sometimes I really do think the Motherland would be better off on its own, free of _Europa_ and its tyrants."

All Zhukov could do was smile bitterly at his son. "We're _already _on our own, Andrei." he said. "Yet even so, all we can do is fight the enemy in front of us, and save who's behind us for another day."

Andrei nodded in acknowledgment, while folding up the collars of his greatcoat. The storm seemed to grow even more intense at that moment.

* * *

**Imperial Palace  
Pendragon, Holy Britannian Empire  
April 12, 2025 a.t.b.**

It was never a pretty sight when a grown man broke down and cried. And it was far less a pretty sight when that grown man just happened to be the Crown Prince of Britannia, the first in line to the throne were the Emperor and the Chancellor were both unavailable. And now, with the Emperor having disappeared, as he tended to do during situations like this, and Schneizel having gone out to the warzone himself, it was outright terrifying to think that the man who was now in charge of bringing order to Britannia in the advent of a great disaster was now sitting at the end of the Court Conference Room table, with his head in his hands and the muffled sound of tears streaming down his eyes.

"An entire fleet, sunk." First Prince Odysseus eu Britannia moaned into his palms, feeling as though the walls were closing in over him. "Pearl Harbor laid to waste. And to top it off, our worst nightmare has come back from the grave and has just invoked the Black Rebellion all over again." he looked up, his eyes clouded with tears. "How could all of this have happened in just _one night_?"

Of course, the other Princes and Princesses who were now gathered around the conference table were hardly inspirers of hope themselves. "We cannot let this stand!" Fifth Princess Carline la Britannia bellowed as she slammed her fist down on the table, blood boiling and eyes filled with rage. "We have to strike back, _here and now!_"

"How? We don't have a target!" one of the other princes glowered in frustration. "Their fleet could be anywhere over the pacific by now, and even if we did locate them, only god knows where their main base is located!"

"And Schneizel's taskforce is still recovering survivors, while the rest of our forces in the pacific are in complete disarray..." First Princess Guinevere su Britannia added in a snarl.

Odysseus opened his mouth to speak again, but before he could, a military official with a datapad moved up at the end of the conference room, then stood by and waited until the royals were aware of his presence. Then, with great hesitance, the official looked over his datapad and read its contents. "Your Highnesses, we've just received several reports from Area 22 and elsewhere." he stated to the rest in the gravest of tones. "Our forces in Beijing are currently under attack by the CLA. As well, separate rebellions have been reported in other Areas, namely those in Western Europe."

"And the EU?" Carline demanded.

The official read through the data more. "No obvious developments. President Goebbels is holding a meeting in the Hemicycle, while the state military forces remain on standby." he added. "Even so, MI6 believes that several EU commanders are preparing counteroffensives across the Western Front."

Carline snarled through clench teeth as she closed her eyes. "...they all smell blood in the water." she looked back at her other siblings. "If we can't strike back, then we must secure our territories. I recommend we declare Martial Law throughout the Areas, and the Homeland if necessary."

The other siblings looked up with clear hesitance at that idea. "Do you realize what you're suggesting?" one of the princes let out. "The last time we declared Area-wide Martial Law was eight years ago, following the Devastation!"

"And if you recall, that led to a lot of bloodshed, especially from the resultant ghetto purgings!" someone else pointed out. "Do you really want to subjugate our people to _that _all over again!?"

"We don't have a choice!" Carline shot back. "It's either we clamp down on the Areas and maintain control now, or we risk global rebellion later! If that means we have to kill a couple Numbers to keep all that we've gained, then so be it!"

Guinevere sighed at that notion herself, part of her wondering how much of Carline's inherent love for war and violence had influenced that idea. But even so, she was right about one thing: it was their only choice. "It's your call Odysseus..." she stated, looking back at the head of the table. "With the Emperor and Chancellor both out of reach, formal leadership of the Empire falls to you, the Crown Prince. Therefore, what would you have done, my liege?"

Odysseus cringed at the stated question, as well as how everyone was now looking to him for an answer. Yes, he was the Crown Prince and the technical first in line to the throne, but that didn't make him a leader like his father or Schneizel, much less inclined enough to make such a hard decision. For the third time that night and counting, he wished Schneizel were there now instead of him, as he could speak the words he couldn't and make the ultimate decision he doubted himself on; he of all people could give the command without hesitation.

But once again, Schneizel was not present, which meant Odysseus had to speak the order in spite of all the doubt and torn conscience he possessed. "We will declare Martial Law." he stated, before looking back to the military official. "Send the command out to all outer Areas, and have the local garrisons mobilize immediately."

"Yes, Your Highness." the official replied with a salute, then made his way out to follow his new orders.

After that, with the exception of Carline and a few others, the entire room sunk into despair as they knew what was going to happen next. And all poor Odysseus could do was hope that, in the end, the Empire was preserved amongst the blood and slaughter, as it had been from the Devastation.

And the Black Knights were still out there...

* * *

**Black Knights High Command  
Naha, Independent State of Okinawa**  
**April 12, 2025 a.t.b.**

"**...RETURNED!**"

That last single word seemed to float in the middle of the main lounge as all of the occupants reflected upon what they had just seen for themselves. Several wore looks of mild shock and awe upon their faces, while others held lighter expressions of clear anticipation. The most prominent however, of which there were seven, with one sitting at the back end of the room with his arms crossed, seemed to hold more measured expressions, though one could tell that they too were taken by their apparent leader's message to the world.

Obviously, all of the room's occupants were Black Knights, as they each wore the reborn organization's black and silver uniform. Even so, there were two noticeable additions to each uniform, besides the signature commissar cap that they all wore as well: the golden chevron epaulettes on each of their shoulders, and the silver braided aiguillettes that ran from each of their right shoulders down to the near center of their uniform tunics. Yet more distinguishing, besides the fact that they were all either Britannian or Japanese respectively, were the commanding presences that each one possessed; it was clear that these men and women were well acquainted with war and leadership, whether it be the Japanese Insurrection, the Second Pacific War or any other in between, enough that their individual experience seemed to emulate from them directly. Needless to say, this made them quite ideal for their ranks as Generals and positions in the Black Knights' command structure, and even more so gave them the right to assess their current leader and the course he had just placed them all on.

"Well..." a Japanese General with scruffy black hair coming out from his officer's cap spoke up with a cool, icy sigh, as the cheers began to erupt on the display screen in front of them all. "We're certainly committed now."

"It can't be helped." a Britannian female General with long dark brown hair and hazel eyes stated as well. "We all knew this was going to happen; General Ohgi already stated as such years ago, when he announced the intention to recover Zero."

"Why is that buffoon the Vice Commander anyway?" a gruff, square faced Japanese General stated bitterly, his deep voice giving one the impression of a rumbling volcano. He clasped his gloved hands together under his chin as he went on. "Tohdoh I can understand, but Ohgi couldn't even lead his pissant resistance band, let alone an actual military. Zero should have fed him to the dogs a long time ago."

"Oh, I think he deserves more credit than that, Kondo-_san_..." another, rather aged looking Japanese General with distinctive facial lines and a cigarette hanging from his mouth spoke in a rather drawn out, lighthearted sentence. "After all, it was he who proposed reforming the Black Knights to begin with, and it was by his influence that they had stayed reformed up to Zero's liberation..."

"That's beside the subject at hand." a bald and bulky Britannian General with a prominent brown goatee stated matter-of-factly, holding a similar bitter tone as his square faced Japanese counterpart. "As brilliant as Zero is and as spectacular a feat as sieging Pearl was, are we really prepared to fight against Britannia at the level he stated? Most of our forces aren't even battle experienced yet."

"If they aren't, then they soon will be." a blonde haired Britannian General at the far end of the meeting area reflected. "As General Nagumo just said, we're committed now, regardless of what state our current forces are in. All we can really do at this point is follow Zero's lead."

"Geh." the square faced Japanese General let out. "I'll hand him Pearl myself, but in my opinion, that boy is well over his head. Perhaps if he weren't blinded by his vendetta toward the Brits..."

The blonde haired Britannian General quickly fixed his counterpart with a leer. "Don't kid yourself Nobutake; every man, woman and child on this island has a vendetta toward Britannia, and rightfully so. At least with Zero, we have a fair chance."

"Are you saying that because he just happens to be...?" the squared face General began to counter.

_"Moving on." _the brown haired woman General interrupted before any potential squabble could erupt. "At this time, we have three fleets in full operational condition, and two more that aren't at full strength but still capable of deployment. In a normal combat scenario, that would certainly be too small a number to wage a full war with... but then you have to remember the Black Knights had a lot less during the Insurrection, and yet still managed to beat back the occupation under Zero's direction..."

"Even so." the scruffy haired General spoke up again. "We're up against an enemy that literally rules over most of the planet's surface. While I do not doubt Zero's abilities either, this is still a tall order he's making the Black Knights fulfill, especially with an operational force of three fleets."

Before the conversation could continue, the cigarette smoking General turned toward the corner of the room, where another one of their number was currently leaning against a wall. "You've been rather silent all this time..." he began in that drawn out way of talking. "Surely you have something to add to the discussion, _Gensui-san_..."

At that, the man in the corner uncrossed his arms and let out a sigh. "I told you not to call me that Tamon..." he said with some agitation, as he came into the light.

After another moment passed, the man revealed himself to be one of the Japanese Generals, and in turn easily distinguished by his jet black "chin curtain" beard, slightly tinted eye glasses and somewhat stern expression he gave off. It was also noteworthy how the other Generals, despite being of equal rank, seemed to look back at him with great respect. "I will be frank to you all. I will not pretend to know what Zero is planning, nor will I try to assess our chances of success based on our current strength. That being said, I _do _believe that our best hope for victory is to do exactly as Zero has stated: take the fight directly to the Britannians and liberate the world one area at a time, before launching a direct attack on the Imperial homeland."

His eyes narrowed behind his glasses. "And even then, once we invade Britannia, the only choice left to us will be to completely conquer it. It would not be enough that we take the Eastern or Western Coasts, nor the industrial centers of California and Michigan, nor even the secret sakuradite reserve that may or may not be out there. No, for victory to be certain, we must take Pendragon itself and, just as Zero has already declared, dictate our terms directly to the Emperor."

Silence reigned after the General made his statement, before he followed that up. "That is my own analysis of the situation. I trust you are all satisfied with it?"

"_Yare yare_..." the aged looking General Tamon Yamaguchi, commander of the Black Knights Fourth Fleet, spoke while taking the cigarette out of his mouth an smudging it on a nearby ashtray. "For someone who doesn't like to be addressed as _Gensai_, you still have a thing for monologues. But I guess that's as good an explanation as any."

"Meh." the square faced General Nobutake Kondo, commander of the Black Knights Third Fleet, let off while narrowing his gaze. "I guess if you're for it, sir, then I am as well. But I still think that boy's in over his head."

The shaggy haired General Chuichi Nagumo, commander of the Black Knights Second Fleet, again closed his eyes as he replied. "I'll follow your assessment of this as well, sir."

At that, the bespectacled General turned to the others in the room. "And what say the rest of you?"

A collection of acknowledged from the other Generals of the High Command followed, while the bald and goateed General William Halsey, commander of the Black Knights Fifth Fleet, let out a small laugh. "Far be it for me to be in agreement with the former enemy commander, but as fate has cast us into the same trench, there really is no other choice but to go forward with all this."

"I think it's all the better myself." the blonde haired General Raymond Spruance, commander of the Black Knights Sixth Fleet, added while tipping his cap down. "No way we're going to win by hiding out on this island and letting everyone else fight."

"Though we still don't know where this will all go." the brown haired General Jacqueline Fletcher, commander of the Black Knights Seventh Fleet, also stated.

"Indeed." General Isoroku Yamamoto, commander of the Black Knights First Fleet and former Fleet Admiral of the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force acknowledged, while pushing his glasses up with a white gloved hand. "But we will strive towards it all the same." he let himself smile a little. "And who knows... we might actually win this time."

* * *

**Arima Onsen  
Naha, Independent State of Okinawa  
April 12, 2025 a.t.b.**

With a small bit of drawn breath, Sayoko slowly stepped into the warm water and dropped down until the water nearly reached up to her collar line. Feeling her body and muscles relax from the warmth, she let out a small sigh, while closing her eyes and leaning back against the side of the hot spring. All that remained for her to do was to listen to the sound of the nearby crickets chirping.

Usually she didn't like taking bathes at night, or at least those of the public variety, but tonight she just needed to get out for a bit of fresh air. Like everyone else, she had seen Lelouch's declaration of war to Britannia and by proxy the world, and as a result of it somewhat minute celebrations were breaking out across Okinawa as a result of that as well as the Black Knights' latest victory. The living establishment that Sayoko had been in was no different, as some of her younger colleagues couldn't help but bring out the _sake_ in recognition of their army's accomplishment; as a result, Sayoko decided that then was the time to slip out for a moment to herself, as she wasn't much of a party person. Besides, the owner of the _Arima Onsen _owed her a favor, and was now in the process of repaying it by having his establishment closed down and reserved the spring just for her.

As such, all that remained was Sayoko, the water and the surrounding life. And that was all the maid who had a nightlife as a _kunoichi _needed, especially in the light of all that had has happened. This was also where the second reason for her going to the hot spring came in: the relaxation also helped her thoughts drift away until there was nothing but a blank state, which is something she needed at this point. If only for a few minutes or so, she wanted to forget everything: the state of the world, her previous mission to Britannia, her race's exile on this little island south of their original homeland, their last hope being the boy prince that just wanted to do a good thing for his now missing sister. All of it.

Unfortunately, it was not to be, as Sayoko's far sharpened hearing picked up the sound of feet landing on a nearby tree branch. Feeling her eye twitch in annoyance, the _kunoichi _burst out of the water just as a pair of kunai came streaking down at the area where she had been; had she remained, both kunai would have pierced her from behind the skull. She quickly landed across the spring and, cursing herself for letting her guard down so easily, reached down and snatched a nearby rock between her right index and middle fingers.

At that, another kunai came streaking out from the darkness. This time however, Sayoko was more than prepared, as she shot her own impromptu-kunai directly at the incoming blade, resulting in both projectiles impacting on another and rebounding into different directions.

From this, the sound of light chuckling suddenly came from the shadows. "You're as sharp as ever Sayoko." the voice stated as a form leaped down from a nearby tree branch. "Glad to see your playing maid hasn't dulled your senses."

Sayoko immediately frowned; she knew _that_ voice and the lighthearted attitude it projected, just as she knew its owner _inherently_. And so it was, as the form stepped out of the shadows, revealing a young man, a little older than her, with the same black-grey colored hair and pale brown eyes that she possessed, only on a masculine frame. Said hair was kept in two equal length bangs on either side of his face while the rest was tied into a ponytail that went down his back, while his face itself was a lot like hers, only less seamless in order to fit his gender; a classic stereotype _bishounen_. However, what struck Sayoko more wasn't the man's face, but rather what he was wearing: the new Black Knights uniform with the rank tabs of a Major on his shoulders. Even more striking was the corps insignia that had been placed on the uniform's left chest: a silver hira-shuriken, angled with the points angled outward in a cross-like design.

At the man's full appearance, as well as that shuriken insignia, Sayoko felt her lips twist into a defensive sneer. "Setsuna..." she spoke in a low growl; a warning more than anything else.

"Come on, that's all the greeting I get? Not even an _onii-chan _for old times' sake?" Major Setsuna Shinozaki in turn grinned in a fashion which showed just how unserious he was taking the whole situation, in spite of his naked younger sister looking more ready to tear his head off. "Bad enough that you haven't gone to the Village since your return."

Sayoko sighed, but didn't lower her guard. She decided to cut to the chase. "I'll start calling you _'oni'-chan_ when you stop fretting over my state of affairs." she stated venomously. "What do you want Setsuna? Did father send you here to kill me?"

"Now why would father ask for a thing like that?" Setsuna replied nonchalantly. "I mean, sure, you went against his orders by allowing Lelouch to live, and you did stop reporting back to him two years into your cover as Sarah Beckett, and let's not forget the part where you have yet to return to the Village. But other than that, I can't imagine..."

"Father's orders no longer matter." Sayoko shot back pointedly. "Now that _Shinozaki Ryuu _has been absorbed into the Black Knights as the Shinobi Corps..." she looked toward that shuriken emblem as she spoke. "...father's orders are subordinate to those of the High Command's, and they ordered me to keep Lelouch alive."

"Heh. You possess quite the tongue when it comes to curling round the truth; befitting of a Shinozaki." Setsuna laughed again. "Unfortunately dear sister, that excuse isn't going to fly, _especially_ not with father. Commands from the standing Master of _Shinozaki Ryuu _are always absolute, no matter what his rank and position in an outside army maybe." he fixed his sister a deep stare. "Besides, we both know you weren't just following orders, and that you allowed Lelouch to live because of your personal connection to him and Nunnally. Just as I know if it came down to it, you would take on the entire Corps if father chose to seriously enforce that kill command."

Sayoko's leer only deepened in response. "Very well." she spoke evenly. "You're not here to kill me; otherwise you would have made a far more serious attack by now. So what are you really here for?"

"Impatient aren't we?" Setsuna replied in turn. "Fine then. I'm here to pass along what you'll likely find as good news." he continued to speak nonchalantly. "Your sweet prince's latest victory has apparently impressed our father. He's decided that he will follow Lelouch's lead for the time being, and has so ordered the Corps. And while he's still not pleased about you breaking away, he's willing to let you stay by Lelouch's side, on the condition that he will send a detachment to support you."

"You mean to keep me under watch alongside Lelouch." she stated once more with venom, not at all seeing the message as 'good news' considering the original sender.

"As the Britannians like to say, 'whatever floats your boat.'" Setsuna replied as he casually flicked imaginary dust off his uniform sleeve.

Sayoko decided to settle for a frown. "I suppose father has already sent them?"

"Well semantics aside, yes they'll have replaced the household staff at the Kururugi mansion by the morning." Setsuna explained, which caused Sayoko to fix him with a peculiar look. "Oh relax Sayoko, they're only going to dismiss them, not 'disappear' them. As well, they've all been charged with Lelouch's protection from on high, so you don't have anything to worry about."

"When it comes to our father, Setsuna, there's always reason to worry." Sayoko replied back. "And don't think I'm going to let down my guard over this."

Setsuna grin deepened. "You wouldn't be a Shinozaki if you did so easily. At least cut the old man some slack; he could have just as easily decided he would take full command of the Black Knights and have your prince and everyone else _removed _for it."

"I'm aware of that." Sayoko replied. "At the very least I know where he stands in all of this. The real question is, where do _you_ stand Setsuna?" she brought up the rock between her fingers. "And speak clearly. Depending on your answer, I may just end up _removing_ _you_, even if you are my brother."

The older sibling only shrugged. "_Kowaii kowaii_... As amusing, albeit unchivalrous, as it would be to fight a naked woman during her bath, you have nothing to fear from me little sister." he replied. "I have no wish to kill the man that haunts the dreams of our enemies." His eyes narrowed into Sayoko's as he continued. "In fact, I'm rather intrigued; just what is so great about this prince that it would cause my own dear sister to betray her family and her oath to the _Shinozaki Ryuu_, if only to remain his personal handmaiden?"

Sayoko only remained silent, causing Setsuna to sigh in response. "At any rate, Zero will be launching his next move soon, and when he does he'll more than likely need the Shinobi Corps' support. And as I just told you, father is willing to let him lead us for the time being; as long as that is, the Corps will be bound to protecting him and executing his command. So rest assured, little sister, your prince will not be harmed, so long as he remains in our favor."

"...and if he were to fall out of favor?" Sayoko asked, her voice now gaining an edge.

In response, Setsuna regained a grin, but now it too held an edge. "Well..." he said, flicking his arm forward and drawing a kunai seemingly from thin air. "...that will be a _very_ _interesting _day, won't it?"

Silence reigned from that point on, as both siblings stared down the other, their respective weapons drawn and seemingly ready to be used. As such, Setsuna decided then was the time to leave, and he began doing so by backing away. "With that, I think I've overstayed my welcome. _Ja ne_, Sayoko."

He quickly withdrew his kunai and started to move back into the shadows. "Oh, and visit the old man at some point! Otherwise he just may send a retrieval squad for you." he stated before disappearing entirely.

For a few more moments, Sayoko remained on guard, until she verified for herself that Setsuna was well and truly gone, and that there were no other intruders in the vicinity. After this, she stood back up and slowly sank back down into the spring. Only this time however, her mind was completely active as it continued replaying her brother's message, and what it meant for her and the man she had chosen as her master.

* * *

**Red Sun Tavern  
New York City, Duchy of New York, Area 1 (North America), Holy Britannian Empire  
April 12, 2025 a.t.b.**

"With respect, Your Grace, I don't like this." spoke the chauffeur Roberto as he slowly parked across the street from a particular drinking establishment that his liege wished to visit. "This area of town always seems to attract the less desirables; not a proper place for a lady to move about alone."

In the backseat, Milly's expression folded into a rather annoyed sneer as she replied. "I've been through far worse places than this in my lifetime Roberto; in fact, the land that my grandfather built Ashford Academy on was originally a red light district. Try surviving a place like that as a ten year old."

Roberto replied himself with a fixated stare. "Even so Your Grace, I do not see why you must visit this..._den _after hours." he gestured toward the tavern across the way, at the same time reading the business hours sign. "It's not even open at this time of night!"

"Not to _normal _people Roberto." Milly corrected. "As for me however, it just so happens the owner is an old friend of mine; one I haven't seen in a long time. That said, I assure you he'll let me in to at least say hi."

Roberto tapped his fingers on the steering wheel for a moment. "If that is the case, then I must insist that you allow me to accompany you, as neither of us know what kind of scum of the earth may be lurking out there, or around."

At that, Milly rolled her eyes, even though Roberto was unable to see it due to his head being turned. _As if I didn't know you were MI5. _"As I said, I've been in worse places than this and I've managed to survive thus far. Have a little faith in me."

With that, Milly quickly opened the door and let herself out before her chauffeur could object any further. Straightening out her maroon dress, she quickly made her way down the street toward the tavern in question. On the outside, the establishment looked like any other building in the districting: it held an 1800s a.t.b. architectural design, with a prominent red and white outlined exterior that held several fixtures that were common among Industrial Age buildings. The most distinguishing of which was the neon lit sign sign that hung over the door, which displayed a red tinted sun while the tavern's name was written above and below in white lettering. Milly smiled at it, as she knew the _real_ meaning behind the tavern's name and symbol.

Inside, the tavern looked just as "historic" as it did one the outside, retaining the cultural themes of an old Britannian pub, yet holding onto some new modern conveniences. The walls were painted in a deep maroon with wooden finishings, while black and white checkered tiling was laid across the floor. Several black and white photographs adorned the walls, usually of old patrons that had visited the establishment once upon a time, alongside other painted pictures from famous New York artists. And all around there were wooden tables and booths that held cushioned seating, while the bar counter was placed at the back corner of the room, which held a line of stools in front of an even longer line of drinks in the cabinet behind. And in the opposite corner, a jukebox stood playing out a jazz tune that Milly couldn't place. Overall, the tavern, quite unlike Roberto's impression of it, came across as a warm and cozy setting, the kind of place one could get a drink or hold a conversation in peace.

As she continued to move, Milly studied the pictures one after the other as she made her way around the tables and up to the counter. One in particular held her interest, as it was a colored photo of herself and the rest of the Student Council standing in front of Ashford Academy, back in its hayday. Milly let her eyes skim across it for a brief moment before turning and making her way toward the counter, where she took a bar stool and waited for the owner to come out from wherever and finally notice her presence. She also did well to notice that her face and folded into a lowered frown just after she had gazed at that picture.

"Well, this is truly an honor." a voice spoke from the side, as the barkeep emerged from the back. Despite his entry, Milly didn't look up at him; she couldn't bring herself to do so just yet. "We don't usually get nobility here, especially one as fine and beautiful as yourself Duchess Ashford. Perhaps I could offer you a drink to celebrate the occasion?"

Milly ignored the playful sarcasm and simply placed her order. "Bacardi, on the rocks."

"That's not a very lady-like drink." the barkeep replied.

That brought back to mind her recent argument with Roberto, and as a result Milly could almost feel the vein in her temple begin to swell as her eyes fidgeted closed. "Do I look like a lady to you?" she replied in a more agitated tone than she wanted.

"Whoa, okay!" the barkeep held his hands up in defeat, immediately setting off to fulfill the order.

As he began to work, Milly at long last looked up at him, her eyes falling upon a blue haired man that was slightly taller than she remembered, yet in her mind's eye looking the same as he had eight years ago, especially when he was dressed in a barkeep suit. After he finished fixing her drink, he turned around to present it to her, revealing that his blue hair had become somewhat ruffed over time, while his face was much more structured than before; overall, he was a far cry from the young and trouble prone boy she had as her dedicated henchman. "On the house."

"How very kind of you." Milly replied, now allowing a smirk to form as she took the drink and gulped it down. A moment later, she put the glass, which now only contained ice, back down before moving on with a smile. "It's been a long time Rivalz."

Rivalz Cardemonde could only smile as well. "A blink of an eye Milly." he replied, drawing her into a hug from across the counter, much to her surprise. "I'm glad to see you've stayed healthy without me." His smile increased as he felt Milly's breasts squeeze against him. "...in fact, I would say you've gotten_ healthier_, your ladyship."

Milly sighed as she returned the hug. "And you still don't know anything about women." she replied jovially before moving back, adopting a serious expression momentarily. "I trust it's safe to talk shop?"

Rivalz's smile enlarged. "Don't worry, I swept for bugs before you got here, and if I missed any, well..." he gestured toward the jukebox. "...I really hope they like the music, because that's all they're going to hear."

Milly listened to the song playing for a moment. "This music... I've heard it before..."

"Of course. It's the _Big O _soundtrack." Rivalz explained, causing Milly to turn and look back at him peculiarly. "Japan might be gone, but a good portion of anime, manga and music has been floating around the internet lately."

"You do realize if you're caught with any of it..." Milly started.

"What are they going to do, arrest me for listening to music?" Rivalz retorted. "Good luck linking me to the Underground that way. For all they'd know, I'm just reminiscing the good old days."

"Please, there's _always _reason to suspect you Rivalz. And the Empire has incarcerated people for far less." a new voice stated as another individual came walking out from the back area. That individual, as both Milly and Rivalz observed, was a tall woman with long, bright orange-red hair and vibrant yellow-green eyes over a porcelain-like face, while her clothing consisted of pink sleeveless top and a white miniskirt with blue designer shoes. With an air of confidence in herself, the woman strolled out into the main area and up to where the other two people were, her long hair waving as she walked.

At her appearance, Milly adopted a mock astounded expression. "My God, is that Shirley Fenette? _The _Shirley Fenette?" Milly spoke in the tone of a fangirl. "I can't believe it! In this decrepit joint of all places! It's like all my dreams are finally coming true...!"

"Don't you start now." Shirley stated jokingly as she came up. "It was hard enough to get here from Hollywood without half the world knowing it. Do you have any idea how difficult it is to be a celebrity?"

Milly only smiled back. "Noble."

Shirley rolled her eyes with a sigh. "Right, sorry." she said, as the two women gave each other a warm hug. "It really is just like the old days now, Madam President."

"Heh." Milly replied, as she closed her eyes in remembrance. "Not quite Shirley, but close enough." she then ended the hug to look back at her former junior. "How've you been? I heard you got _another _big movie role..."

"_My Fair Lady_. Filming starts in a few weeks." Shirley confirmed with a nod. "Between that, my singing and modeling jobs, _and _all that I've been doing on the side, I barely have free time anymore."

"I bet. But that's probably a good thing..." Rivalz said, as he reached under the counter and pulled out a _Sports Illustrated _magazine, one whose cover depicted a certain someone lying on a beach in a revealing blue bikini. He quickly opened it and began flipping through pages. "...because at this rate, you'll be spending your breaks fighting off horny fanboys..."

"Give me that!" Shirley, now quite red-faced, hollered as she snatched the magazine away from Rivalz's hands. Milly couldn't help but laugh as the actress/singer/model rolled the magazine up and pointed it at the barkeep. "I should charge you with sexual harassment Rivalz!"

Rivalz looked back dumbfounded. "For buying a magazine!? A magazine that you _willingly _posed for!?"

Shirley opened her mouth to respond, but Milly silenced her. "Alright you two, as much as I would like to really catch up, we don't have much time." she started, adopting a serious expression. "Let's get to business at hand, shall we?"

The other two adopted similar expressions straight off. As well, Rivalz reached down under the counter again and, after taking hold of a remote, tapped a button. Behind the bar, a large mirror hung in a space centered between the store cabinets, as part of the general atmosphere of the bar; however, upon Rivalz's pushing the button, the mirror retracted upward to reveal a modern flatscreen TV behind it. Once the mirror had fully retracted, the television activated and formed a picture to BNN, in which a reporter was going on about Zero's reemergence; an accompanying image of the masked revolutionary was transposed in the back corner as well.

"As usual, he sure knows how to make a splash." Rivalz said, as he and the two women all looked over the report. "If this doesn't rattle the nobles' cages, I don't know what will."

"Shouldn't we be feeling bad...?" Shirley inquired. "I mean, a lot of people died in all this..."

At that, Milly adopted an ice cold sneer. "They knew what they signed up for." she stated. "And they were _our _enemies anyway. As far as I'm concerned, they got what they deserved."

Rivalz frowned at that. "I don't think any of those soldiers were involved with the Devastation, Milly... They were just following orders."

"Doesn't matter." Milly replied straight off. "They were fighting for the same people that ordered it. That make them just as legitimate as targets, whether for the Black Knights or for the Underground." the fury behind her gaze increased. "Besides, we all _should_ know a thing or two about being at the mercy of men 'just following orders.'"

Upon that declaration, Shirley looked back at Rivalz with a somewhat concerned glance, causing the barman to merely shrug in response. Well before the current meeting, both had known their former Student Council President was carrying an eight year chip on her shoulder, one that stemmed from the Ashford students and corresponding families that _weren't _rescued before the Devastation had occurred, among whom were Milly's own parents, grandparents and extended family. As the last surviving member of the Ashford family and Ashford Academy's administration, the young heiress had never forgiven Britannia for their deaths, and as a result had developed a certain cold temperament that had not previously existed in her character, even if she did manage to keep it buried from view most of the time. It was only at times like these, namely during her administration of the largest and most effective resistance cell in the Imperial Homeland, that she allowed it to shine through her usually jovial and mischievous self.

And that was where the Underground, or the Ashford Underground as Rivalz and several others called it, came in. Formed from the remaining student body of Ashford Academy and administrated directly by Milly herself, the Underground had come into existence some months in the Devastation's wake and had grown more and more powerful over the years, especially into the latest Great World War. This was all due to the reintegration of the surviving Ashford students into multiple levels of Britannian society; some had gone onto working class jobs like Rivalz, while those who held noble backgrounds like Milly went on to become integral members of higher society, and even more had gone onto specialty areas like Shirley had. But despite their different paths in life, none of them ever forgot September 13, nor the friends and family members that they had lost on that dark day, and much less those that had been responsible for their deaths.

As such, while the undead Black Knights took action against Britannia from the outside, the members of the Underground had infiltrated the Empire on virtually all levels, sabotaging it from the shadows quite effectively. Among its other unknown accomplishments, one of the Underground's most pivotal victories was instituting the delay in eighth knightmare frame production, all through a collection of organized labor disputes, political tampering and more direct acts such as the destruction of key assembly lines and manufacturing materials. Because of this, many experts believed it would be months, if not _years_, before the first _Vincent_-type knightmare frames ever made it to the frontlines, which in turn leveled the playing field with the EU who were having just as much trouble with their own _Jaguar _line.

Because of this and many other things, Milly truly felt that this was a crowning moment for her and the Underground. Shirley and Rivalz could have mixed feelings about it, but she refused to even consider it, as tonight could be considered the culmination of her efforts over the last eight years. Not only was Britannia now facing an enemy that they could not directly contend with, but that enemy was led by the one man who well and truly reserved the right to administer its destruction. The same man that, only several nights ago, she had risked herself to intervene against his worst enemy, thereby assuring his resurrection as Zero.

After a few moments of silence, save for the reporter's voice coming from the television and the music still playing from the jukebox, Shirley spoke up again, albeit a little uncomfortably. "So... what do we do now?"

Milly looked back at her, her cold expression causing a chill to run up Shirley's spine. "The same thing we've been doing all along." Milly stated, her voice even. "Lulu might have gained a great victory tonight, but he's not going to win this war without help from the inside. That's where _we _come in."

Rivalz interrupted. "I think what Shirley meant was do you have any specific plans in mind?"

"A few. One of which you'll like Rivalz." Milly replied. Suddenly regaining a bit of her usual self, she flashed a vindictive smile toward the barkeep. "You get to step things with a certain Baron's daughter."

"Ah, not _her _again!" Rivalz stammered, face turning to disgust. "You promised me that was a onetime thing!"

"Well, now I'm upgrading it to a _twotime_ thing." Milly shot back, enjoying the sight of Rivalz squirming. "Rumor has been going around that Britannic is developing a production version of the _Gawain_, and her father, as you recall, is on the Board of Directors."

"And you really think _she'll _know anything about it?" Rivalz retorted.

"No, but a date on her family's estate will give you access to her father's office." Milly explained. "You can figure out the rest."

_"Man...!"_ Rivalz whined softly. "I _hate _dealing with nobility...!" he didn't need to look back down to feel Milly's gaze on him, which caused him to adjust his collar. "Present company excluded of course."

"Good." Milly replied, before waving him off. "Now, go fix dinner. We've got a lot to discuss, and I heard your fish and chips are the best in the Empire."

Rivalz looked less than pleased, but he knew better than to argue. As such, he turned around and made his way to the kitchen in the back of the tavern, where he began muttering select curse words while working on making the night's entree.

Thus for the next few moments, Milly and Shirley sat at the counter by themselves. For a while, the two remained silent, both intent on watching the BNN reports on Pearl Harbor, Zero's resurrection and other developments in the war. And as one such video played out, displaying a group of _Sutherlands_ charging through a city, gunning down _Panthers _and EU soldiers in their wake, Milly finally spoke.

"Eight years, Shirley." she said simply at first, causing Shirley to turn and look at her curiously. "In just eight years' time, so much has changed from what we knew. Britannia, the world at large, our own hopes and dreams..."

Milly looked down, back at her empty glass. "Its times like these I miss Ashford Academy the most. Back when our lives were so simple and peaceful, when we could watch news reports like this one and not think anything of them." she stated solemnly. "Back when 'war' was just another subject we read in books and did reports on."

Shirley, however, took it in stride. "I miss those days as well Madam President." she also looked down in thought. "Back then the most I was ever concerned with were my studies and my...feelings for a certain boy." Milly did well to notice the actress fidget at that last part. "I never cared about what was going on elsewhere in the world, or how Britannia had a hand in it..."

It was Shirley's turn to cast a downturn expression. "And yet, here we are now. Members of a resistance, fighting against our own nation for the fate of the world. We, former prep school students who just happened to get caught in the middle."

"That we are, as sickening as it feels. Especially how we're talking about the 'good old days' like a bunch of old ladies." Milly acknowledged with a sigh. "But enough of that. How are things _really_ going in your world?"

Shirley pursed her lips at that question. Due to her choice career and her success, she, unlike most of Ashford's student body, held great presence in both Britannia's upper and lower societies; on one end, being an actress and socialite allowed her to interact with much of the Empire's nobility, while on the other her singing, beauty and participation in outreach programs allowed her to hold a connection with the commoners as well. Needless to say, this made her the ideal spy for the Underground's purposes, as Shirley possessed a unique access to some of Britannia's secrets through her noble "friends", as well as the influence over the masses to drive her cause forward, even if indirectly. As such, Rivalz had once claimed her to be a modern Mata Hari, and while Shirley did not wish to share that particular fate, she had to admit that her occupation and activities weren't too far off base.

"Nothing new to report I'm afraid." Shirley replied, taking a sip from her drink. "There's been something of a news blackout since Pendragon, so I haven't been able to get any new information. At least nothing beyond baseless predictions and theories from drunk nobles."

"Yeah, I've been having the same problem myself, complete with the 'drunk nobles' part." Milly replied bitterly, with a shrug. "Between the two of us though, I thought you would have the better chance at getting something."

"Sorry Madam President, but there's only so much I can do with my position." Shirley stated, feeling repulsion at the very idea.

"That's alright. You've already done so much already." Milly replied, reaching a hand out to Shirley's shoulder. "Even Lelouch would be impressed with all of your accomplishments."

"Yeah..." Shirley trailed off in thought.

Again noticing hesitance in her young charge, Milly turned to face the actress with a small smile. "You still love him, don't you?"

At the intent of that question, Shirley looked away again, as if trying to gather her will to answer. Before she could do even that however, Rivalz quickly reentered with three plates of fish and chips in his arms. "Dinner's up!"

Milly cast an annoyed glare at him. "Your timing is poor, as usual."

"You're welcome." Rivalz shot back in stride, before putting the plates down on the counter and then getting everyone drinks. "And on that note, since we're on the clock, I guess I should mention this next bit of news..." he stated as he finished the last of the drinks, past them out and then got himself a stool. He then turned serious again. _"We found Nina."_

Instantly Milly and Shirley's heads turned around, utmost concern present on their faces. "Where?" Milly almost forcibly demanded.

In response, Rivalz reached over and under the counter again, producing an envelope. "One of our guys sighted her in Dallas." he said, as Milly opened the envelope, producing the photographs onto the counter.

From there, the three gazed down at the images of a bespectacled woman with black hair and mouse-like eyes, dressed in an orange uniform, the kind meant for military R&D officials. The rank markings on the shoulders and collar were easily recognized as those of a Major's. The woman herself seemed to have been sitting down at an anonymous cafe, sipping on tea in between the shots, completely oblivious to the photographer and everyone else.

Instantly memories came flooding back to all three Underground members of, again, eight years ago. The sight of the _Ganymede_ emerging from its underground hangar with a strange cylinder attached to its chest, the sound of Lloyd's voice calling out in warning, claiming that the device could easily destroy the entirety of the Tokyo Settlement. The girl demanding to know where Zero was, while her thumbs twitchily hovered over a trigger assembly. And then the collective held breath of all those present when the uncontrollable girl, at long last, pressed the button...only for nothing to happen. From that point, the last any had seen of Nina Einstein was of several guards hauling her away to an unknown location onboard the _Avalon_, so that she may eventually be shipped away to other parts unknown once the airship had returned to Britannia.

And now there she was, in the open once again. On one side, Milly was happy that her young friend and _de facto _protégé was in good health, at least on the physical level. On the other side however, the sight of her in a military uniform, especially one that denoted her in R&D, greatly disturbed her. "Do we have any idea what she's doing down there?" Milly inquired.

"Well, obviously she's working on a weapon for the Imps." Rivalz explained. "Besides the uniform, the Army operates a testing ground outside of Dallas. There's also been a lot of brass sighted there lately."

Milly looked up again. "I meant do we know what she's working on?" Shirley looked up as well, swallowing as she did so.

Rivalz was just as hesitant to answer. "It took a bit of effort, but we got a name..." he said. "Project Freya."

Immediately Milly found she didn't like the sound of that, nor how it brought to mind the Norse goddess of war and death. The fact she had been able to construct a bomb back at Ashford Academy, one that would have used sakuradite-fueled atomic energy for power as she later learned from Lloyd, had been frightening enough. One could only wonder what kind of weapon she was making now, with the vast resources of the Empire at her disposal.

"...our agent down there thinks he can grab her at the given opportunity." Rivalz went on to say. "He just needs your order to do so."

Shirley looked back at Milly as well, almost expecting that order to come. However, Milly only closed her eyes, in a subconscious effort to push back the temptation, before she replied. "No, that won't be necessary. Just have him observe her for now, and try to get more information on Freya."

"Are you sure?" Rivalz asked.

"Too sure." Milly stated, pointing at the Major rank tabs on her uniform. "If she's that high up in the military command, then it means she has a noble or royal pulling for her." he looked at the image more deeply. "My guess would be Schneizel, given his habit of funding R&D projects."

She then looked back at the two of them. "Either way, if we grab her now, we'll be attracting unwanted attention. And I don't want to _willingly _tip the bad guys off to us."

"But if we leave her be, won't she eventually complete her weapon?" Shirley inquired herself.

Milly gave a nod. "It's _another_ risk we're going to have to take. Besides, I have a feeling that this 'Project Freya' can be completed at this point even without her." she said. "So for now, we'll forget about Nina and focus on the things we _can_ do. And if you two are willing to listen..." at that, her mischievous nature finally returned. "...I'll gladly line it all out for you."

* * *

**European Union Africa Command HQ  
El Alamein, Republic of Egypt, European Union  
April 12, 2025 a.t.b.**

The sound of military boots impacting down on hard tile echoed throughout the corridor as Colonel Hans von Luck walked across it at a rapid pace; if he had moved any faster he would have been running. Usually the veteran officer of the German State Army Afrika Korps, distinguished by his thin yet well built stature, short and spikey blonde hair and pale green eyes, would have moved more casually down the halls to his intended destination, but given the insanity that had been happening over the last few hours, he found heightened mobilization to be prudent for the situation. It also helped that most of the headquarters staff were now gathered downstairs in order to watch the newsfeeds of the now in session Hemicycle deliberations, leaving the halls clear for Hans to proceed forward. To the office of the one man that was _not_interested in the latest feeds; at least the kind that were centered around Nuremberg.

Soon enough, he came to his destination and, in standard protocol, knocked twice on the door. However, no reply came, and as Hans listened closer to the door, he heard a distinctive sound on the other side of the door: a certain voice speaking, but not the one owned by his superior. Biting back whatever thoughts he had on that, he turned the knob anyway and opened the door, proceeding into the office within.

**"...our hand we have delivered a grand gesture: a raging hellfire upon this callous and oppressive empire...!"**

As Hans half-expected, the room's occupant was _not _sitting at the desk at the center; rather, he was sitting on one of the couches that had been placed at the side of the more comfortable and furnished than average office, face turned away from the door and up at the big screen monitor on the side wall. And on that monitor, a certain declaration was being replayed, complete with surround sound to accompany the speaker's metallic voice tone.

Without saying a word, Hans took two steps into the office, only to halt in his third step as he watched the screen pause. At that, his eyes closed shut out of reflex as he realized the occupant had long noticed his entry; he just hadn't overly concerned himself with it.

"I do not believe I gave you permission to enter, _Oberst_." a deep Germanic voice spoke up from the couch. Despite those words and the intrusion itself however, the voice spoke with great amusement instead of offense.

Out of reflex, Hans stiffened himself to military attention. "My apologies _Herr Generalfeldmarschall_, but you did send for me." he stated knowingly. "In a time of crisis no less."

"Crisis?" the Field Marshal let out a short, roaring bout of laughter. "Nonsense! This is a time _celebration_! Our enemies are routed, we are regaining the initiative, and above all else, a _strong _newcomer has entered into the game!" his eyes actually gleamed. "In short, _wunderbar_!"

Hans rubbed the back of his head cautiously. "I do not think _'wunderbar'_ is the most apt word Nuremberg would use to describe the current situation..."

"Bah! As if I care of what those spineless _A__rschlecker_ think. After all..." the General said, his dark green eyes narrowing onto the screen in front of him while a predatory, almost manic grin broke onto his face. _"..._Der Wüstenlöwe_ thinks for himself."_

And with that, Field Marshal Erwin Rommel, commander of the German State Army Afrika Korps, sat back further onto the couch, as Hans came around the opposite end and observed his commander. In spite of the current time, he still retained his grey uniform, which held perfectly to his massive frame and save for the unbuttoned collar, was also in precise order right down to the array of medals that were strewn across its front; all that was missing was his usual greatcoat and sand visor covered commissar cap. His trademark long dark red hair remained in its usual mane structure, giving him the lion-like characteristics that served as one of the origins of his nickname, while his face remained clean shaven as always. At the current time, he was sitting with his booted right leg crossed over his left leg, while his leather glove covered hands remained on either side of the couch top; the kind of pose one held when watching a home movie or observing a sports match in consideration.

After a moment, Rommel reached back and took hold of the nearby remote. "And now it's your turn Hans. Tell me..." he asked, before pressing the play button. "...what do _you _make of this?"

**"...for all the world to see! Countless numbers of Britannia's own have paid for their nation's greed and corruption with their lives, all the while many of the Empire's mightiest warships...!"**

Hans took a moment to watch, arms crossing over his chest, before answering. "It's a war declaration." he stated with a frown. "I don't know what else to think about it."

"Oh come on. Put some effort into it at least." Rommel replied with mock disappointment, before turning back to the screen. "First he comes back from the dead, which alone comes across as someone's worst nightmare come true. Then he wipes out an entire enemy basin in a single night, likely with the same precision and destructive force that he used in his offensives in Japan..."

Rommel then took a moment to pause, as if in thought. "And then, when the calm resettles on everything again, what does he do from there?" The predatory grin returned. "He _stylishly_ rubs the Britannians' faces in his victory, goes onto claim his intention to _completely_ destroy the Empire in the manner of the Biblical apocalypse, and then challenges them _and _the rest of the world to try and stop him! All with the flair and drama to match!"

The Field Marshal then leaned forward and gestured toward the screen. "That, Hans, is exactly how wars _should _be declared." he stated with appreciation. "No political correctness, no admittance to the heinousness of it all, no feigning of humanity. Just the pure will to utterly dominate your foe and obtain complete victory, in such a way that your enemies shake from your words alone."

Hans only responded with a small frown. "I think you've gotten too engrossed in this, sir."

Rommel frowned in return. "You know, if you ever plan to make General someday, you really need to learn to appreciate these things Hans. Even in war, one must see art for what it is."

"Heh." Hans chuckled. "Only you would consider a war declaration a form of art, _Herr Generalfeldmarschall_."

"Art takes many forms, _Oberst_." Rommel replied back smartly. "Very few find the beauty in this, and most of them don't even realize it when they do. Fortunately, Zero thinks that way as well."

That piqued Hans' curiosity. "How do you figure that?"

"Because he clearly doesn't see what he is doing as mere 'war' like any other in his position would." Rommel explained, resting his chin on his knuckles as the message played on. "In fact, by his past and present actions, I would surmise that to him, what he is doing is more of along the lines of acting in a play." The Field Marshal then began using hand motions to emphasize his explanation. "He enters on stage, delivers his lines in the most dramatic ways possible, uses accompanying gestures to woo the audience into following him, and then, upon delivering his final line and act, he takes his bow and exits the stage to thunderous applause."

Rommel's mouth folded into a smirk, while pausing the broadcast again. "Do you understand Hans? He isn't just fighting a war; he is putting on a show for all the world to see, and his usage of military force is only one element of that show. Even his strike at Pearl was meant for that; sure, on the surface one would see it as a strike against a vital Britannian port and nothing more, but following his mindset, Zero had another purpose in mind for it. And do you know what that is?"

Going by what Rommel had just told him, Hans looked at the still image of the masked revolutionary while is mind reeled under the assumption that he was fighting a war as part of a playact. In his opinion, that was as farfetched a conclusion as Hans could think of, but then he also knew that in spite of it, Rommel wouldn't make such a wild claim from the imagination. Not when the Desert Lion himself was among the EU's most brilliant military minds, as well as its main authority on several forms of warfare, including knightmare combat.

After a moment passed, Hans finally realized what his commander was going for. "Are you saying he attacked Pearl simply to reestablish the Black Knights as a major force? An 'opening act' as it were?"

"Correct." Rommel replied, smirk increasing. "See Hans? Even you can figure things like this out, once you put your mind to it."

Hans ignored the jab at his intelligence and continued. "But what about Pendragon? Wouldn't that have done the same?"

"Ah, but there's a twist there." Rommel pointed out. "Pendragon was entirely a hit-and-run operation in which the Black Knights moved in, accomplished their objectives and disappeared just as quickly. They announced neither their existence nor the reason of their attack; as such, Britannia and the rest of the world naturally assumed that they were a terrorist force of some kind. And when one thinks of terrorists, one sees them akin to vermin, a far cry from a powerful military force to be reckoned with."

He looked back at the image. "And now the world sees him as exactly that, and will act accordingly on that image; whether it be Nuremberg, Pendragon or elsewhere."

The Field Marshal soon gained a thoughtful expression. "But now that he _has _established himself and his army as a viable threat, the question remains, where will he go from there? How will he go about decimating Britannia in the manner that he spoke of? And once that is accomplished..."

Certain intensity flickered through the Desert Lion's eyes as he continued. _"...what kind of world would he establish in its place...?"_

Hans however, had just enough. "I think I need a drink..."

Rommel turned back with a mock disgusted look. "Of course you would turn to alcohol in place of understanding. Maybe I made a mistake promoting you to _Oberst_, Hans..."

"I'll take that as an accomplishment." Hans shot back as he started to exit. "If only because, _Herr __Generalfeldmarschall_, you finally admitted to making a mistake." Just as he made it to the door however, he stopped and spoke once more. "You do realize that Nuremberg just may declare him an enemy of the union."

A dark look crossed Rommel's face as he turned back around. "The thought had occurred to me."

"What would you do if that happens?"

Rommel considered that. "Well, at the least he would make a _worthy_ adversary, should the Hemicycle send me to hunt him down. And if there is one thing I'm always looking for..." the smirk returned, once again denoting a predatory nature. "...it is worthy opponents to _completely ravage_."

Hans nodded. "As you say sir."

And with that, the Colonel saluted and departed in equal measure, not even bothering to wait for Rommel to dismiss him. But even then, the abruption in military protocol was hardly a concern of the Field Marshal's, who simply shook it off. "And for the record Hans, all men make mistakes..." he spoke to no one in particular, as he picked up the remote again. "...it's just _my _mistakes are so few and inconsequential, they are seen as successes anyway."

He then fast forwarded to the last part of the message. His favorite part.

**"For I say unto you: I am Zero! We are the Black Knights! And we have RETURNED!"**

And once more, a full grin eclipsed Rommel's lips. "_Tatsächlich..._" he spoke almost subconsciously. "_Eine hervorragende Kriegserklärung, 'Eure Hoheit'..._"

_Indeed, a most excellent war declaration, 'Your Highness'..._

* * *

**Black Knights air battleship **_**Ikaruga**_**  
Pacific Ocean  
April 12, 2025 a.t.b.**

Once again greatly damaged but still managing to remain mobile, the _Ikaruga_ continued to inch its way west along the Pacific, with the cruisers _Akagi_ and _Hiei _flanking it on either side to provide escort. Despite earlier fears, the mighty battleship's back up drive system remained active to this point, and though her flight speed was greatly reduced due to a combination of battle damage and the main drive being knocked out, the black warship was still in flight and maintaining its course back to Okinawa. Overall, the aptly named Taskforce Ikaruga was wounded, but in no way out of the fight; especially not now, when their leader had just finished declaring war on their enemies.

The latter point, of course, caused other alterations as well. In spite of the taskforce's current condition, great celebration had overtaken the three warships as their respective crews went out of their way to commemorate their newest victory, all the while the ships themselves remained on course by automation. Choice alcohol was given out in batches, "victory" music was played over different stereo systems, crew members laughed and joked with each other in the various lounges while the surviving knightmare pilots toasted those who had not returned from the battle. Even the respective command staff, who usually held a staunch policy on "wild parties", were taking part in the celebrations; the only noticeable absences were the Ohgis, who had chosen to opt out of the main festivities and retreat to their shared quarters for the remainder of the return trip, to "celebrate in their own way" as they had each claimed. As such, the lingering anxiety from the past battle was soon forgotten and replaced with remembrance and joyousness, as the entirety of the taskforce reveled in their victory and, above all else, what was to come.

All except for one man. In turn, the very same man that had given the victory that they all celebrated.

With a final sweep of his cloak, Lelouch entered into the Devil's Den, his boots making a dull thumping noise across the metal floor while the equally metallic sound of heavy breathing emanated from his mask's audio system. Only a few moments after the doorway closed, Lelouch stopped before the center table and slowly removed his mask, revealing his bloodshot eyes and sweat covered face to the world. From there, he placed the mask on the table before removing his veil, followed by his cloak, which he allowed to fall to the floor without a second thought. Thus, Zero, with his grand role completed for the time being, was effectively retired, while a completed exhausted Lelouch vi Britannia took his place in the world.

For the next several minutes, Lelouch simply stood there in the middle of his quarters, choosing to retain his uniform for the time being instead of wasting what little energy he had left shedding it. His eyes, both his normal right eye and his eternally alit Geass eye, remained on the floor, seemingly staring off into space far beyond the physical, while his body subconsciously balanced itself whenever the _Ikaruga_ made any sudden swaying motions. Only the sound of the former prince's breathing, which had calmed down somewhat but still came out in small pants, gave any indication that he was still very much alive, as well as kept the room from being drowned in complete silence. Or more specifically, the kind of silence that would have been "heard" by the ear, rather than the mind.

_"I killed my father... for you and Nunnally!"_

If Lelouch had gained any joy and jubilation that Lelouch from his victory over Britannia, both at Pearl and afterward, his memory of recent events kept him from feeling any of it. Even now he could hear that single claim play out in his memories, followed by the desperate explanation of the entire truth the man who he had once called friend snapped yet again. He could still see the madness in his eyes as he put the _Lancelot_ into a total offensive against him, followed by the uncoordinated and unrestrained attacks he made with the white knightmare's remaining MVS. His muscles subconsciously tensed and his fists tightened as he recalled how he was beaten back with the vicious assault, barely holding the _Gawain_ in place from the wild sword swings. And all throughout he could hear the manic, crazed voice of Suzaku Kururugi ring out like a deranged cry of an animal; full of rage and no longer able to control.

_"Go on Lelouch, laugh at me! Tell me I was wrong! Call me a fool! Explain how you, the great Zero, would have done it all differently!"_

Tears soon began to reemerge from Lelouch's eyes as he remembered it all, and the true cause of it. For many years, he, like the rest of the world, had believed Genbu Kururugi had committed senppuku in order to silence the pro-war faction of his government, only for that explanation to be denounced when Mao revealed Suzaku had murdered him. And even when that half-truth had been given, he had simply taken it at face value, believing then that Suzaku had committed patricide for the sake of his country and his people, so that they may live past the bloodshed even in the bonds of slavery. The former prince never suspected, no matter how illogical Mao's claims sounded, that there was any other explanation for Suzaku's crime; that Suzaku had murdered his father for far more personal reasons than had been stated.

But now the truth had been revealed at last, and once again Lelouch had learned that he had been living a lie. All this time, he, as well as Nunnally, had been at the center of Suzaku's ultimate sin. His mere presence in the Kururugi household had changed Suzaku's entire destiny for the worst, forcing him to choose between the lives of his own father and his friends, and equally forcing him to act on that choice. Yes, in the end it had been Suzaku that had committed the crime, but Lelouch could no longer deny his own involvement in his murder; that Genbu's blood was on his hands as much as it was on Suzaku's. Nor that because of that choice, because of that decision to preserve his and Nunnally's lives, Suzaku began his long fall into the darkness of his own soul, having now resulted into the mad beast that Lelouch had just dueled with mere hours ago.

_"If only I had known then what I do now...! If I had known what you would become...!_ _If I had known what I would lose...!"_  
**  
**"Suzaku..." Lelouch murmured painfully, feeling as though he had were slowly being impaled by a sword. His teeth soon grit together as he tried to stifle back any more tears. It hurt to remember now, even more so than when C.C. had forcibly restored him. Yet the memories continued to play out, and at the images of the maddened, pained Suzaku, Lelouch only felt great remorse at what he had driven his friend into becoming; at how he had driven his first true friend into slowly losing his sanity, all the while instilling him with complete rage and hatred through his own actions.

_**"...I WOULD HAVE LET HIM KILL YOU!"**_

"Lelouch..." another voice suddenly broke the flow of memories from behind. Momentarily readjusting his stance, if only by instinct alone, Lelouch turned around with a glazed eye to see Kallen standing behind him, having somehow entered without his realizing it. Even though he was looking at her with a corner glance, he could almost feel the look of concern and sympathy on her face, as if she were radiating that emotion. Yet even so, aside from speaking his name, she said nothing more afterward, instead choosing to wait for her leader's response.

Realizing that much, Lelouch turned his face forward again, while adopting a more serious demeanor, though the tears remained. "I trust you 'saw' everything that happened before?"

Kallen's silence was all the answer he needed, and so he continued with a short, rueful laugh. "It's funny. All this time, I had believed the first life I had taken was Clovis'. I remember how I struggled with the guilt afterward, how I felt like I was drowning in myself for taking another life. There were times I couldn't sleep without seeing his face in my dreams, and there were times where I couldn't eat without feeling nauseated."

Lelouch tilted his head down a little. "And now I learn even that's not the truth." he went on. "That it wasn't through Clovis that I lost my innocence, but my best friend, whose life I ruined at the mere age of ten."

"You didn't kill him..." Kallen stated as fact, holding back her own emotions while doing so.

"I might as well have." Lelouch claimed, closing his eyes again. "Because either way, the Suzaku I knew and grew up with died alongside his father, leaving only an empty shell behind. All because of the friendship and love Nunnally and I shared with him... And everything that happened afterward..."

At that, Lelouch let out a bitter laugh that caused Kallen to cringe. "And do you know what the worst part of it was?" he let out. "_I _would've done the same thing." Lelouch sneered at the thought. "He was right... Had it been reversed... Had my father ordered Nunnally's execution back then... I would've done the same..."

And once more, Lelouch's eyes fluttered open as he let out a small sigh and stared forward again. "I've given you what you wanted Kallen." he suddenly spoke with a more hardened voice. "It took whatever I had left of my former life, alongside my identity as Lelouch vi Britannia, but tonight I've given you and the Black Knights exactly what you all wanted. A renewed war with Britannia, and the hope for a peaceful future."

His hands, still covered by the black leather gauntlets that were part of his Zero ensemble, flexed as he spoke his next few words. "So I ask you now Kallen..." he continued without pause. "...was it worth it? Are you satisfied with what I have done, for you and the remnants of Japan?"

Kallen opened her mouth to respond to that inquiry, but when she realized that doing so would cause her to lose her own self control, she closed her mouth before a single word could be uttered. In that moment, she wanted to let it all go, to tell Lelouch that he was punishing himself for a crime that wasn't his. That regardless of the reasons behind Suzaku's actions in the death of his father, Suzaku was still the one who made that choice and performed the stabbing, and that whatever happened afterward was also a product of his own decisions. And most importantly, that regardless of what became of Suzaku, Lelouch's efforts and sacrifices were not in vain; that win or lose, he had secured more for her and the rest of Japan than he could ever realize, and in return they would all follow him to the end now, in his own quest to exact justice on his former country.

But Kallen knew better than to say those words, and much more project that temperament, with the way Lelouch was now. She knew that her words wouldn't reach him; that no matter what she claimed about Suzaku, Lelouch would not accept her explanations, and that he would only continue to subconsciously punish himself for the Knight of Seven's growing insanity and all the events that led up to it. The former prince's selflessness dictated it, just as it had forced him to live down the Devastation as if that offense had also been his own. Just as it had forced him to live down Euphemia's slaughter before that.

As such, Kallen felt her own anger at Lelouch's blind selflessness, but at the same time she refused to curse him for it. After all, that very selflessness was one of the reasons that she had...

Along that line, a memory came to mind, and all at once, Kallen realized what she need to say. As such, she relaxed and slowly let her own anger drain away, until all that remained was solemnness. "Eight years ago..." she began, her voice now much more tempered. "...I asked you similar questions to what you're asking me now."

Lelouch remained with his back turned to her, but he listened regardless. Thus, Kallen continued. "I told you that up to that point, I had believed our cause to be right, only for Narita to make me question everything. As such, I asked you exactly that: was what we were fighting for real? Would our struggle, and the sacrifices we would make along the way, be worth it?"

A minute glimmer entered Kallen's eyes as she went on. "And do you remember the answer you gave me?"

At that inquiry, Lelouch finally turned to face her expectedly.

"You told me that what we did wouldn't simply change the world, but rather it _had _to change the world. That there would be sacrifices, both from those who would fight us and those who could not." Kallen continued. "Yet even so, we had no choice but to continue on, not only for all those that were already lost, but for those who would die as well. That no matter what happened, we had to prevail, or risk all the blood we had spilled being in vain."

Hesitantly, she took a step closer to Lelouch. "And now Lelouch, I give you that same answer." she spoke, sounding more determined now. "No matter what has happened before, no matter what sins you think you have committed, you have no choice but to go on..."

She soon came near face to face with the former prince, and both commander and soldier soon felt the heat between them. Yet even so, Kallen refused to look away from his eyes. "...because what you have done tonight, and what you will do in the future, is _worth the cost_. The world and the future that you have dreamed of is worth fighting for. Even if it means having to turn against your own friends and loved ones, even the ones you think yourself responsible for, you have to go on believing that in the end, you _will _change the world for the better."

From there, Kallen lowered her gaze down to his chest. "You've already come this far and you've done so much Lelouch." her voice now turned into a near murmur. "And that's exactly why you can't falter now; otherwise you admit that Suzaku sacrificed himself for nothing, and that all you have done to this point, whether good or bad, was meaningless."

So focused was Kallen on his chest that she did not see Lelouch's eyes widen in realization.

"And that's why... Even if you start doubting yourself like I had at that time... I refuse to give up my faith in you, or allow you to give up on yourself." she stated, again staring back into his eyes. Only now instead of hesitance, her eyes held fiery determination, while her voice gained an edge. **"So if you _ever_ ask me a question like that again, I will personally beat the words into you, until you remember exactly what you told me in that hangar and get back into the fight! _Zetai ni!_"**

At first, Lelouch was taken aback by the force behind Kallen's statement to him, so much so that he nearly took a physical step back from the intensity of her gaze alone. If Kallen's words had not reached his being, then her force of will certainly did, and Lelouch found himself in shock at it all. Too shocked, in fact, to realize that had it been eight years ago, he would not had tolerated such statements from his subordinate, and would have easily found her out of line. Yet, here and now, she had managed to get through to him, and before her words and her will, Lelouch suddenly felt powerless and unable to respond.

However, upon looking down at her, he noticed a peculiar detail: her left hand, still balled into a fist, was trembling. It was from that little detail that Lelouch realized that, all this time, Kallen had been afraid for him; afraid that he would turn into exactly this, that his fight with Suzaku would strip him of all of his willpower and leave _him_ as an empty shell. As such, she did what she had to do and reminded of his own advice to her, as well as the resolution he once held so long ago, in the face of _another_ personal sacrifice. Inside, Lelouch cursed himself for forgetting all of it, as well as forcing Kallen into having to drill it all back into him, all the while holding back her _real _emotions as he surmised.

As a result, he felt even more worn now, as Kallen's mantra had molded effectively with his already present battle fatigue. But even so, while he still felt sorrow for Suzaku, what had become of him and his part in it all, he knew that sorrow was a secondary concern now. Yes, his guilt and anguish were far from gone, but he now remembered that he had already sacrificed, among other things, his friendship with Suzaku so long ago, when he had executed Euphemia and finalized her knight's hatred toward him, all so that he could continue to lead his revolution. All so that everything he had done, including the murder of his own beloved sister, would not be in vain.

And so it was, he understood, for Suzaku's degrading mind; just one more sacrifice in an already large number. How could he lose his will over something like that, when he had held onto it through so much worse?

"Sickening." he suddenly spoke in near monotone, feeling as though the air had been knocked out of him. "Being lectured by a subordinate, having to be reminded of my own words...as well as the worth of my own cause. Truly sickening." he then muttered as his fists tightened again. "Has the world really been distorted so much?"

At that, Kallen let out a breath of air as a reassured smile came across her lips. "That just means we have a lot of fixing to do."

Upon that reply he looked back at her, violet eyes never flinching. Silence dwelled between them for the next few moments before Lelouch spoke up again. "And the worst part of it is..." he began with a mock frown. "...it all had to come from _you _of all people. I don't know whether to be thankful or disgusted."

Realizing that Lelouch had regained the sardonic part of himself as well, Kallen quickly adopted a pout. "What's that supposed to mean? I thought, as your Knight of Zero, one of my obligations was to 'talk sense into my liege.'"

"A knight does not question his liege." Lelouch pointed out, feeling some amusement at the sight of a put off Kallen. "Nor does she point out any foolishness on his part, and she especially doesn't 'talk sense into him'. No, the role of a knight is to follow the orders of her lord and nothing more."

Kallen fixed him with a challenging leer at that. "Then I guess I make a very poor knight..." she shot back. "...because the last thing I will _ever _let you do is wallow in yourself like a bad anime character."

Lelouch chuckled silently. "A statement like that would easily earn you contempt of royalty, had we been an actual prince and knight." Kallen opened her mouth to respond, but Lelouch continued, fixing his eyes back on her. "Even so... once again I am grateful to you Kallen."

This time however, Kallen was unable to meet the warmth of his gaze or the small, apologetic smile that had formed as well. Nor was she able to prevent the tinge of red to appear on her cheeks as she looked away. "_Baka_..." she muttered simply.

And as their conversation went on, C.C., who had been standing behind the doorway all throughout, allowed a smile of her own to come upon her face.

* * *

**Location Unknown  
April 12, 2025 a.t.b.**

V.V. fought down the urge to slam his fists into the arms of his throne as he watched the overhead monitor flicker off.

Rarely over the Grand Master's immortal life had he lost control of his emotions and allowed his anger to show upon his face. But after this line of intolerable events, even he was unable to keep his wrath in check. By completely destroying Pearl Harbor, the Black Knights had proven more formidable than he had anticipated, and Lelouch himself had shown to be more ambitious along the way. Before, V.V. would have assumed that, for whatever dangers either the Black Knights or Lelouch presented to the Order, they would have followed their original _modus operadi _from the Japanese Insurrection. That being, the BKs would only harass Britannia in a series of hit-and-run strikes, through which Zero would accomplish with his usual "miracles" in order to promote his name as a "savior" to Britannia's enemies, from which he would seek alliances with before doing any direct damage to the Empire.

Yet this was not the case, much to V.V.'s ire. The attack on Pearl Harbor not only showed that the Black Knights were able to fight in the open field, even without their leader's guidance, but that Lelouch was not going to hold back in this new war. This time he was going to attack the Empire directly and in its most vital areas, and he was going to do it in ways that would inflict great damage to Britannia's infrastructure as well as establish himself and his army as the last great hope against tyranny. All this while Britannia was distracted in its war with the EU, and the Order itself distracted with its hunt for the final Code Bearers among its other secret agendas.

What was even more intolerable was that, in concept, it was all following Charles' plans to distracting world attention while Ragnarok was carried out in the background. Indeed, one did have to admit that whatever Lelouch did as Zero was always followed upon by the masses; even his relatively small rebellions in Japan were enough to draw attention from virtually all portions of civilization. But even so, V.V. knew better; for whatever benefit Lelouch would provide to Ragnarok's building execution, he was still too dangerous an element to utilize for it, and Pearl Harbor's destruction only emphasized that fact even more so. And yet, even after all that has happened, Charles _still _refused to have Lelouch and his little army disposed of.

As such, V.V. clenched his fists around the arms of his throne. If his apprentice wouldn't do what needed to be done, then it came down to him to perform the deed. The completion of Ragnarok, humanity's salvation and the birth of the new world to come were all far too important to fail, and V.V. was not about to allow let even the possibility of that to happen. And that was where _he _came in.

"So, _that _is why you have summoned me." spoke a voice from the darkness beyond the throne. Slowly, a figure emerged from that darkness; a relatively thin man dressed in dark grey and purple cloak of the Order's Inquisitor branch, who then knelt down before the presence of the Grand Master. The cloak did well to obscure the man's face from view, though it was unnecessary as V.V. knew what he looked like. All too well in fact.

"Indeed." V.V. replied, finally calming down. "Lelouch has been allowed to exist for far too long. He must be terminated."

"By me, the Grand Inquisitor?" the figure spoke. Though subtle, one could sense the traces of an edge in his tone. "I cannot say I am pleased with this. The idea of even dirtying my hands on that mongrel's blood is revolting alone."

"The Order cannot take any more risks, not at this time." V.V. replied staunchly, before getting up off of his throne and wandering to the side in thought. "For over two millennia we have been preparing; entire wars and nations were started and ended for that purpose, and many more sacrifices were made along the way. All for the _true _salvation of mankind."

He then turned to face the figure. "And that is _exactly _why I am sending you after Lelouch, as there is far too much at stake to allow his rebellion. If he continues on now, he will eventually extend his war to include the Order, and while we may yet triumph, we may also lose too much to go on ourselves."

He then turn around, his voice taking on a solemn, resolute tone. "By all costs, Ragnarok must be carried out..." he stated grimly and seriously. _"...before Megiddo can be invoked."_

The Grand Inquisitor was silent for a moment as he considered. "Very well. I may not be..._overly fond _of the task you have given me, but it will be carried out all the same." he stated, lowering his head down a little more. "Lelouch vi Britannia will die by my hand, so that the twilight may commence. You have my word on this, Grand Master."

V.V. smiled as he turned back to face the Grand Inquisitor. "Yes, I know I can count on you. Just I have done all this time." he then held out his right hand and placed it against his chest, in the manner of a Britannian knight's salute. _"Pro Salus Vir."_

At that, the Grand Inquisitor looked up and performed the same salute, while under his hood, his right eye shown crimson with the mark of Geass. _"Pro Salus Vir!"_

* * *

TO BE CONTINUED...

**Author's Notes: **In all honesty I originally planned for Lelouch to give his speech at the end of 16, but had to cut it off to keep from going over my preset length. As such, this was something of an experimental chapter for me, as I've never written one entirely around a speech before. That said, I know not much happens here, but I assure everyone that the story will move along properly when 18 rolls out.

Anyway, since I went into detail for the Black Knight uniforms, I might as well go into them for the CLA as well: as I'm sure some are figuring out, yes I used the ZAFT ensemble from _Mobile Suit Gundam SEED_. I figured if I want them to be communistic, they have to look like it, and ZAFT's wear certainly fits the profile. Just think of it along this way: the regular soldiers all dress in standard Red uniforms (which are otherwise modeled after ZAFT Green uniforms), Xingke's "special" troops wear a Gold ensemble (based on the ZAFT Red design), while Xingke himself, being the head General and all, dresses in a Purple uniform (only with a black belt added). All ZAFT insignia are removed and replaced with the "Chinese Sun" emblem seen on the Chinese Federation flag, while rank emblems and headgear pretty much remain the same, only the regular troops can wear peaked caps as well as flight caps now.

**Author's Note 2:** And before anyone starts, yes I am planning a Middle Eastern arc, and also yes I am using Muslims, namely everyone's "favorite" Ayatollah from the 70s, as bad guys (though perhaps not _the _bad guys). To those that have a problem with this, I only say the following three words. _Deal with it._

**Author's Note 3:** I'm not one for message boards, but I recently put up a forum for Megiddo (www. fanfiction forum /Code_Geass_Megiddo_Discussion_Forum /98233/ or just click on my profile for a link), if only for kicks. Feel free to post any questions/comments/death threats/whatever there if you don't want to PM me.

**Author's Note 4: **I don't like adding in last minute author's notes, but I wanted to clarify something in the reviews. First I'd like to apologize to you saintvegeta (if you're still reading); I didn't delete your original review out of racial spite or because I didn't care for your opinion, I deleted it because I figured you'd get pissed off enough that you'd get an account here on this site so I couldn't delete your next one. That way, I could talk to you directly on the issue, which I wanted to do from the beginning. Unfortunately, I only succeeded halfway (I pissed you off, but didn't get you to log in), so I'm going to have to do this through Chapter 17.

In actuality I do respect your religion and your culture. While I may not think Islam as the "Religion of Peace" as it's touted here in the west (an opinion brought on because I DID research), I respect it as a religion all the same, as well as followers like you who (I assume) practice it in peaceful coexistence with the rest of humanity. Fact is however, it has its radical side to it, and with respect, you of all people should know that considering who has been hiding within your country's borders all this time. And that's exactly the side I'm focusing on with Zulfiqar, the side that, going by what you said before, either ignores its own doctrines or emulates the old doctrines out of xenophobia, intolerance and a warped belief that they'll be eternally rewarded by a hateful God for their acts. Such groups, as the last reviewer said, tend to seize power in the advent of a disaster or foreign invasion, and thus we have Khomeini swooping in with his band of butchers and murderers and doing just that in the face of the MEF's destruction and Area 18's birth. Do they represent the majority, whether in my story or the real world? The answer is no, but they're out there all the same.

That being said however, I will say this much (if you don't mind spoilers): Zulfiqar does have some moderate membership that only want to expouse the Britannians off of their land as opposed to launching a _jihad_ against infidels in general. One of whom just happens to be a certain man from Panjshir, who had been compared to a lion once upon a time; a man that I honestly say I admired for his adherence to God and goodwill toward men (and women). The issue however, is that Zulfiqar is still led by Ruhollah Khomeini, a man who killed anyone that generally disagreed with him (or wrote books that he didn't like), and as a result the leadership of the organization is meant to cater toward his direction. Besides, again with respect to your culture, I have yet to hear of _any_ radical minded insurgent group that had moderate members in its leadership; usual case there is the moderate members are "purged" by their less than moderate brothers, thus ensuring that the entire group remains radical anyway. A certain ex-President of Afghanistan can attest to that type of mindset, especially when he was killed in a method that, according to your statement, is forbidden in Islam.

But regardless, I hope you continue reading all the same (again assuming you're reading now), because I don't get many readers from the ME, and I'm curious to see what people there think. As well, I hope you get an account on this site, or at least provide a means in which I may talk to you directly. Until then, peace be upon you.


	18. Chapter 18: Second Act

_"Let him that would move the world first move himself."  
_- Socrates

**Chapter 18: Second Act**

He opened his eyes, only to find himself standing in the middle of that all too familiar darkness. All around him there was nothing but void, which in turn was punctuated by the strangely angelic hymns of that mysterious choir, which continued to sing out through the scope. For a moment he listened intently on the choir to see if he could pinpoint their source, but found the sound coming from all directions; for all intents and purposes, the choir was everywhere and nowhere at the same time.

As he looked down, he saw he was once again on a stained glass pedestal, only now the design had changed from last time: the glass now primarily contained segments of a sweeping royal blue purple, in turn segmented by magnificent dark lines. At the center of the field was the crimson sigil of Geass, grand in its size and power, while surrounding it at the outer edges of the field were various grey colored runes, which upon further inspection he found to be Hebrew letters. The letters, in turn, only encircled the Geass sigil in all but the four cardinal angles; those particular points contained a different set of insignia, which in turn drew ornate silver lines toward the Geass, forming a cross of sorts. At the top, the "north" as it were, was the golden Britannian double-headed cross, while toward the "east" was the orange sun of the former Chinese Federation. Further on, he saw that the silver winged shield of the European Union was focused toward the "west", while toward the "south", in direct opposition to the Britannian cross, was the Black Knights' equally silver winged sword emblem.

He considered that for a moment. Four symbols for four standing factions, all intersecting upon Geass. Or perhaps it was Geass that was reaching out and exerting its influence upon the four. He probably would never know the truth.

_...And so, the tribulation begins anew..._

He felt himself frown as he felt those words appear in his head and then disappear just as quickly. Again there was no voice speaking those words or syllables; they just came into his head as if he were subconsciously reading them.

_...T'wards the apogee of all affairs, kinder steps taken..._

_...Humanity's march toward the tomorrow that is to come..._

_...On hill upon distant shores, fate of all realms to be jubilated..._

_...As was forsae aeons upon aeons ago..._

_...All placed into motion by your hand Young Prodigal..._

He held his breath as it all came and went, obviously not understanding most of it, but knowing one key fact: much more than he was able to perceive was now in work, and a good portion of it was riding on his shoulders. At that, he considered requesting the opposite side to elaborate on its claims, but something inside told him that would not occur. Along with that, there was another question that was on his mind. "How will this end? Will the new world that I have long strived for come to be? Or will all be lost forever?"

_...Weight of thy sceptre rest verily upon thy palms..._

_...And the rhapsodial tune conducted in your crusade..._

That response did not inspire much hope in him. "That's a large burden to lay down on one human being." he stated with a frown. "Especially one as flawed as myself."

_...Yet it is a crown you have long acquiesced for yourself..._

_...You and fellow kin of ages long forgotten..._

_...All upon your acceptance of the Power of the King..._

"And look what came about it the first time." he muttered with a sneer, looking back at the Black Knight and Britannian sigils as he did so. The memories came into play not long after.

_...Fear not the future for the advents of the past..._

_...From such timid heart you self impose a wall standing adamant from fulfilling your quest..._

_...And lead to the destruction of yourself and your chosen path..._

He noted some irony on that last line, but chose to remain silent as the opposite end continued.

_...You now stand at a crossroads Young Prodigal..._

_...A junction in time wherein you may take whatever course you wish too..._

_...And whatever course you wish will indeed hold sway over your journey..._

_...Yet to fear the very choice..._

_...As well as to take but a single step..._

_...Will only end your journey at the beginning..._

_...Bringing about the very fate of creeping dread most high..._

He could only sigh at that, as in spite of his reservation, he knew it to be true. To fear advancing over repeating the same mistakes as the past would only cause do as much damage; the same cataclysms would repeat themselves and even more would perish in the wake of his indecision. Besides, he had already come so far and done so much, that there was little point in stopping where he was anyway.

And then, deep inside, he realized the right question to ask. "What must I do?"

_...March onwards in your advance..._

_...Never halting..._

_...Never fleeting..._

_...Eyes gazed upon the road that lies bare before you..._

_...Alongside the endless horizon that lies beyond you..._

Again, he let those words come and fade from his mind before stating another question. "Will such focus be enough?" he asked, feeling certain hope weigh inside him. "Will focusing on the road in front of me bring me to the paradise I seek?"

When the next words came into his mind, he felt as though they were accompanied by their speaker's smile.

_...Once again such will depend on yourself Young Prodigal..._

_...But at least you will have taken a step..._

_...T'wards the hour the heavens align..._

_...And the stars once more made lucelent..._

* * *

**Urasoe Castle  
Urasoe, Independent Republic of Okinawa  
June 20, 2025 a.t.b.  
**  
_"...confirmed six additional suicide bombings within the latest round of Number riots in Karachi Settlement. The combined number of casualties is now estimated to be in the hundreds, though as of yet, only twenty-seven have been confirmed Britannian. Imperial forces have since reestablished order in the city, but to what degree remains uncertain..."  
_  
With the fluttering of his eyes, Lelouch felt himself awaken from an apparently deep slumber. For a moment he forgot where he was or what he had been doing, but after a few more blinks, he finally remembered: he was now sitting in the living room of his new dwelling, Urasoe Castle. At the far end of the room was a big screen television that he had left tuned to Sky News, while in front of the couch he had been laying on was a center table, which in turn held an empty bowl and glass that had once contained his breakfast, and a chessboard. He himself was dressed in the copied Ashford Academy uniform that he had been provided after his liberation, which he preferred to wear when not in his Zero ensemble.

For a few more moments, Lelouch tried to go a bit further and remember when he had fallen asleep and, perhaps more importantly, what he had dreamed. Unfortunately, his efforts were in vain, as his mind only drew a blank at both points. As such, he decided to focus on the present.

It was now the near end of June, just over two months since the Battle of Pearl Harbor, as well as his declaration of war. Pearl had ended as a hammer blow to Britannia, destroying over thirty percent of its Pacific Fleet and severely crippling its presence in the region. Since that grand victory, the Second Great World War continued on at a heavy pace, but now the Black Knights were recognized participants of it, and certain hope was returning to the beleaguered masses. As a result, resistance against the Empire was continuously growing with each passing day, and alongside it Britannia's grip on the world lessened ever so marginally. Even the Europeans were beginning to regain their initiative, though Lelouch himself had mixed feelings on that.

For their continued part, the Black Knights had not engaged in any elaborate operation since Pearl. The reason for that was simple enough; with the whole of Britannia now aware of their existence, the odds of pulling off another offensive of that magnitude were slim to none. Instead, under Lelouch's direction, they had momentarily returned to the guerrilla-style tactics that they had used in the beginning, namely hit-and-run strikes and interdiction. And while these operations were far less damaging to the Empire than Pearl, they were enough to keep the Britannians fearful of their unseen enemies as well as guessing at where they may strike next and when, once again similar to when Lelouch had first formed the organization from Kaname Ohgi's minute resistance. And above all else, it also gave Lelouch the time he needed to make his next move.

Of course, the war wasn't the only thing that had changed in the last few months, as Lelouch's living conditions had also shifted greatly. As comfortable as the Devil's Den on the _Ikaruga _were, it was generally agreed that they were improper as permanent dwellings for Zero. As such, the Okinawan government had leased him Urasoe Castle, the former Okinawan based residence of the Japanese Prime Minister, for his new home. Lelouch himself was very much aware of the castle's history: it had originally been the ruling seat of the Principality of Chuzan before its reformation into the Ryukyu Kingdom, wherein the capital was transferred to Shuri. That in itself only lasted until the Shimazus' invasion and the annexation of Ryukyu into Japanese domain, where the castle had nearly been destroyed during the event. But somewhere down the line, it had been rebuilt into the form of a traditional Japanese castle, and from there, it eventually transitioned into a secondary residence of the Prime Minister, when Japan became a Republic and Okinawa one of its prefectures.

Ironically, Lelouch had already visited and stayed in the castle long before. Fifteen years ago, Genbu Kururugi had taken his family, Lelouch and Nunnally included, here on a summer vacation of sorts. Lelouch had come away with many fond memories of that time, and was more than appreciative that Urasoe would again serve as his home away from home, especially when he was very much unable to return to Aries.

Moving on, he looked down at the chessboard in front of him. It was an effective mishmash, as both the white and black pieces were scattered across the board spaces. Even so, the only piece that was removed was a white rook, which now lay on the right side of the board.

Reaching out, Lelouch picked up the white rook and gazed at it in his hand, contemplating. Yes, his opening play had removed the white rook, and going by what he saw on the TV, his adversaries were scrambling from its loss. But even so, the game had still only begun, and Lelouch was far from checkmate; there were more pieces to strike down before reaching the white king after all. The question remained however, where would Lelouch move next? He already had an elaborate plan on how strike down his opponent once and for all, but where would he make his next offensive?

After a few more minutes of consideration, Lelouch, evidenced by his smile, found his answer.

"Master Zero." someone spoke up from the door. Lelouch quickly looked up to see a Japanese man, dressed in an elaborate butler suit, addressing him. "Major Kouzuki and Miss C.C. are here to see you."

Lelouch simply nodded in response. "Please send them in."

The butler bowed in acknowledgment and then went on his way, Lelouch eying him carefully. Like all of his other attendants, the butler was a member of the Black Knights Shinobi Corps, and had been placed at Urasoe for both Lelouch's service and protection. Or at least that had been the official claim; the other, which was as obvious to Lelouch as Britannian foreign policy, was so the Shinobi Corps could keep tabs on him when he wasn't out fighting a war. Sure, their loyalty had been reassured to him, multiple times in fact, but that didn't mean they weren't going to watch his every move from then on.

Lelouch sighed at that; he really wished Sayoko were still there to run interference on that, but unfortunately he had already sent her to the Village, the Shinobi Corps' pocket domain in the Miyako Islands, on a special errand. As such, he had to make do with this little band of killer house staff. That last phrase alone caused him to inwardly chuckle; his life was quickly turning into an anime character's.

The next thing Lelouch knew, Kallen and C.C. had entered the room as if they had also lived in the castle, with C.C. looking at Lelouch with certain bemusement. "Well, I can see you're working hard at winning the war." she spoke in her usual chiding tone.

Lelouch looked back at her mildly. "I suppose you'd rather see me in an underground war room, complete with maps strewn over the walls and a center table topped with a mock-up battlefield and soldier figurines?"

C.C. shrugged, looking down at his Ashford uniform. "At least you're fully dressed." she replied. "I've known too many generals who made their battle plans in their morning robes..." she smirked as a memory came up. "...or nothing at all, as Napoleon liked to do."

Kallen's eyes widened a fraction at that. "He really did that...?"

"...until Josephine threatened to run off with some Hussar if he didn't stop." C.C. explained.

"Well, I'm glad I'm ahead of the curve then." Lelouch spoke dryly.

The _Guren_ pilot sighed. "Frankly, I wouldn't care if you planned your battles in a Tabatachi costume, so long as you _did_." she walked around the table so she could sit next to Lelouch, who was staring absently at the chessboard. She smiled, as she knew that look. "What do you have in mind now Lelouch?"

Lelouch smiled back. "Many things, Kallen. _Many wondrous and terrible things._" he spoke ominously, almost villainously. "With Pearl, we pulled off the opening spectacularly; what was once a guaranteed victory for Britannia has now been laced with doubt, while those who were resigned to defeat are now slowly regaining hope." this time he picked up the black king. "The emotional tone is established; now we need work to maintain and reinforce it."

"In other words, we're going to begin our first campaign in liberating the Areas." C.C. summarized simply, causing Lelouch to look at her as if she had just taken away all of his fun. To emphasize, if only for her own amusement, C.C. continued. "Couldn't you have just said _that_? I know you love your monologues, but when there's only the three of us here..."

"Fine." Lelouch replied sharply, absently twirling the black king piece between his fingers. "Yes, we're going to liberate an Area. And we're going to do so in such a way, it will make Pearl Harbor look like 'just' another Orange Incident."

Kallen's smirk quickly disappeared, as that easily brought Suzaku to mind and she wanted to make sure Lelouch was okay with it. Fortunately, Lelouch didn't seem bothered by the memory, nor the accompanying memory of his last encounter with his best-friend-worst-enemy, or at least he didn't show it. Taking that for what she could, Kallen asked. "And which Area will we be going after?"

That malevolent smile returned to Lelouch's face. "Area 22." he stated, slapping the black king back onto a chess square. "China."

C.C. raised an eyebrow, realizing the significance alongside Kallen. "That's certainly a bold move, even for you." she acknowledged. "But are you sure we have the strength and capability for it?"

"Too sure." Lelouch replied. "During my time in Britannia, I was privy to certain information regarding the Chinese Federation, as well as my brother Odysseus' marriage to Chairwoman Jiang. Information that was never released to the public, _purposely_."

"What kind of information?" Kallen replied, growing ever more curious.

Lelouch raised his hand. "All in due time." he replied, much to her disappointment. "But I'll say this much: Area 22 is ripe for the picking. Anti-Britannian opposition was always high there, even before the war, yet the focus in Europe and Africa kept the garrison there from receiving substantial reinforcements. And just like Japan, China never exhausted its military strength; in fact, it never went to war to begin with. Thus we have the CLA, the largest resistance movement in Asia as well as the perfect ally to affiliate with. Combine that with the inept leadership on the Britannian end, and we have the perfect scenario."

Kallen considered that for a moment. "I don't know Lelouch. As much as I want to think of China as another Japan, Devastation aside, I think even that idea is a bit of a stretch." she explained. "Besides, as bad as Britannia is, the Chinese Federation wasn't exactly a utopia itself, and that's what the CLA is fighting to reestablish."

"A valid point. The former Chinese Federation, despite their claims of being the 'People's Republic', was far from the ideal government. To reestablish such a regime would certainly be counterproductive to our cause." Lelouch acknowledged, again staring out in thought. "But that's something we can worry about _after _we force the Britannians out."

The _Guren _pilot nodded in response, but soon enough another thought came to mind. "And what about the EU?"

Lelouch paused, not sure where Kallen was going with that. "What about them?"

"Well, with Russia right next door..." Kallen pondered. "Wouldn't it be advantageous if we enlisted their aid?"

Lelouch slowly nodded. "I considered that, and rejected it." he spoke evenly. "We're already having to oust one tyrannical foreign government from China's soil. I don't want to install another."

Kallen arched an eyebrow. "I thought the EU was supposed to be everything Britannia's not, as well as what the Federation was supposed to be. A democracy for the people, by the people and all that."

The former prince understood where she was going. "Before the war, Schneizel visited Europe to reassure diplomacy between the EU and Britannia in the wake of China's annexation. And what he wrote back to me on Joseph Goebbels' administration...was not very flattering." he explained, looking directly at Kallen's eyes now. "If anything he said was true, which I do not doubt, then I find the EU even _worse_than Britannia on certain levels..."

The Red Dragoness chilled at the sound of that. How could _anything _be worse than Britannia? And yet, if Lelouch thought so...

"Either way." Lelouch said. "Just like with liberated China, we'll deal with the EU when the time is right. But for now, we need to keep everything in perspective."

Reaching to a side table, Lelouch picked up a phone receiver and then tapped a button. After a few moments, the phone picked up on the other side. "Ohgi, it's me." he said simply. "In two hours, have the High Command assemble at HQ. It will be in regard to our next move." After a confirmation reply, Lelouch nodded. "Thank you Ohgi. Until then."

He then promptly hung up the phone, and then turned to Kallen and C.C. "With that, I suggest you two head back to Naha yourselves."

The gaze Kallen gave him spoke volumes of belief. "But we just got here!"

"I understand that, but we have work to do; I have to get my briefing together and you need to make sure your uniform is proper." Lelouch stated. He then turned to C.C., fully ignoring the heated glare on Kallen's part. "And yes, I want _you_to be there as well."

C.C. shrugged. "I'm not complaining." she replied. "I just hope whatever your strategy is, it will be worth my showing up to hear it."

Again, Lelouch smirked. "I doubt you'll be disappointed."

* * *

**Capitol Palace  
Pendragon, Holy Britannian Empire  
June 20, 2025 a.t.b.  
**  
Another day, another meeting of the Imperial Senate. Schneizel inwardly frowned at that thought as he exited the Capitol and began making his way toward his waiting limousine. He was no stranger to them; he was the Chancellor after all. However, ever since the siege on Pendragon, Senate deliberations had almost become as much a constant as death and taxes, something that the Second Prince did not appreciate.

The latest Senate meeting had been nothing less of a headache than those before, but for different reasons. This time however, both Houses, the Lords and the Commons, had come together to discuss issues within the Realm: general fear and panic among the populace, the growing number of terrorist acts in the Areas, equally growing dissatisfaction with the handling of the war as of late and, of course, the emboldening of anti-Britannian factions across the world to name a few. Unfortunately, what had been meant to be a discussion had turned into a near shouting match between equally panicked and frustrated politicians, most of which was aimed to blaming political rivals for these issues more than it was toward finding solutions to these problems. Needless to say, Schneizel had spent much time diffusing as he did adding his own proverbial two shillings to the debate, acting more akin to a schoolteacher looking over children than as the elected head of the Britannian government overlooking an equally elected forum. He sighed, as if he didn't already have his siblings to act that way around.

Fortunately though, the meeting was over and everyone had gone their separate ways. Schneizel was appreciative of that, and though he still had work to do himself, at least he would find some small measure of sanctuary for the next few hours. That thought made him relax more and almost forget his frustrations when he finally reached his limo, from which his chauffeur came up and opened the door for him.

Upon the opening of the door and his looking inside, he felt his lips fold into a smile. "Well... This is certainly a pleasant surprise." he spoke as genuinely as he usually did, getting in and allowing the chauffeur to close the door behind him. "I wasn't expecting you to be here, waiting for me."

Sitting right beside him, Talia looked back at him nonplussed. "When I heard about the Senate meeting, I figured you were going to come away frustrated." she replied. "So I thought you could use the company."

Schneizel smile grew. "Is that an invitation I hear?"

Now it was Talia's turn to sigh. For Schneizel, that was the closest thing to outright flirting. "Don't get ahead of yourself, Your Highness." Talia shot back. "I still haven't forgiven you."

Schneizel only chuckled in response. "And what must I do to return to your good graces, Colonel Earhart? As well as to return to the point where we _didn't _call each other by our respective titles?"

The _Avalon _captain felt herself bristle at that inquiry; she hated it when Schneizel turned his diplomatic charm onto her, the same charm that had been known to defuse potential wars and turn vaunted enemies into dedicated allies. And the worst part was she knew that he wasn't doing it to manipulate her into compliance like he did with others; he legitimately recognized the rift between them and wanted to fix it, as she was the one person he wanted to have absolutely no conflict with. Such was their relationship, which had existed since the two had been children, when the Earharts had been political allies of Schneizel's late mother.

However, that didn't mean Talia was going to let him off easy. For the last two months or so, she had held onto that rift by intentionally focusing on her military duties, namely overseeing the _Avalon_'s repairs. Now however, it wouldn't be much longer before her vessel took to the skies again, and her own willpower toward resisting the Second Prince was also running out. In fact, it was just as difficult for her to simply be with him now, to even look into those crystal blue eyes of his. That in itself made her question what possessed her to come here and wait for him in the first place, even though she full well knew the answer, much to her further discernment.

As such, she closed her eyes and finally let it all go. "Dinner, at the Majestic." she said. "Seven o'clock."

Upon her answer, Schneizel's smile took a much warmer tone. "I'll be there." he said. It took all of Talia's military discipline to keep herself from turning red.

Soon enough, the limo had started moving again, but silence reigned between the Prince and the Colonel. However, despite the present boundaries between the two, the silence wasn't born out of hostility; they were simply comfortable enough around each other that no awkwardness or serious need of conversation existed between them. In that regard, Talia was content to let it last somewhat longer, before finally spoke up again. "The repairs to the _Avalon _are almost complete." she reported. "When they are so... will we be going back to Europe? Or will we be joining the hunt for the Black Knights?"

At that, Schneizel expression turned serious. "We won't be returning to Europe. At least, not any time soon."

Talia didn't like the sound of that. "So we'll be headed for the pacific then?"

"Unfortunately, no." Schneizel let out a breath. "His Majesty has commanded me to remain in the Homeland to maintain order. And because the _Avalon _is my flagship..."

"That means we're to remain here as well." Talia summarized.

Schneizel was quick to notice her disappointment. "For what it's worth... I'm sorry."

Talia only shrugged. "I suppose it doesn't matter much." she spoke evenly. "If this were eight years ago, when the _Avalon_ was the only airship in existence, it would have made all the difference in the world. Now though, Britannia has the _Logres_ and _Caerleon_-classes, as well as the other eleven of the _Avalon_-class, to continue the fight with. One cruiser won't be missed."

She looked back at Schneizel. "You, on the other hand, will be a different story. Regrettably."

Schneizel acknowledged that. "Perhaps."

"Who's going to command?" Talia inquired.

"Field Marshal Montgomery has been named commander of the European Theater in my stead." Schneizel replied.

Talia raised an eyebrow. "Bernard Montgomery?" she questioned with clear disbelief and even clearer disgust. "After that whole mess with Operation Market Garden?"

Schneizel nodded. "He is a capable commander." he stated plainly. "I believe he will maintain the war effort."

_But not win it. _Talia thought but didn't say aloud. "Eisenhower or Bradley would have been better choices. Hell, if I could wrestle him from Horatio, I might have even taken Patton on a good day." she stated bluntly. "At least he cares more about doing the job than personal glory."

The Second Prince again chuckled. "Some of the best military leaders in history were renowned for their pride. Our own Emperor Richard I was a grand example, which was one of the reasons people saw him as the Lionheart."

"In my experience, pride has a bad tendency of influencing stratagem, and that for every Richard the Lionheart, there's at least ten George McClellans and twenty Custers." Talia countered with a bit of an edge. "After all, wasn't it for pride alone that Montgomery sent those divisions across the Rhine to be slaughtered? Pride and what he thought was an opportunity to show you up?"

Schneizel let out a 'heh' at that. Indeed, it was not a secret, not even in the Imperial Court, that Montgomery despised him; it was only natural, as the Field Marshal's infamous ego dictated that he in some way hate anyone above him, whether in ranking or in capability. Schneizel, being both the Second Prince and the Chancellor as well as holding an understanding of stratagem that the flamboyant general could never hope to gain for himself (though that didn't mean he wasn't brilliant in his own right), was near, if not _on_, the top of that list. Of course, that ranking depended on whether the Field Marshal held loathing toward the Emperor; it wouldn't have surprised Schneizel or anyone else, but Montgomery wouldn't have held his position if such feelings were made public.

Even so, he waved off Talia's point. "Regardless of whether you approve or not, he has been chosen. As such, all we can do is hope he succeeds in spite of his past failures."

Again, Talia sighed. "If you say so Schneizel." her gaze quickly fell toward the limo floor. "But..."

"Yes?" Schneizel asked softly, curiosity showing in his seemingly eternal pleasant expression.

Talia took a moment to choose her words carefully. "Sometimes, it feels like this war has gone on longer than it should." she said. "We've annexed China. We have the EU in a death grip. But we have yet to actually win, and it feels like whenever we come close to victory, the war continues on anyway."

Schneizel said no response to that. Instead, his mind once more returned to Pearl, where his reinforcements had been delayed on the Emperor's orders a full half hour into the fighting. Out of reflex, he reached his hand up to his chin in thought.

The _Avalon _captain sighed, looking back toward the prince with concern. "Or am I exaggerating, because I want this war to end?"

Looking back at her, Schneizel could see the hesitance in her eyes, which was there for good reason. Talia was essentially questioning the Britannian leadership in its direction of the war, which could have easily gained her greater contempt than using the _Avalon_'s VARIS cannon had done. In fact, just like Montgomery's personal views of the Crown, it could have cost her entire career had she spoken about it openly.

Even so, Schneizel gave an answer all the same. "Most in the Empire would see that as such; some would even claim it a result of combat fatigue." his eyes then took a grimness of their own. "However, I have come to a similar conclusion as you some time ago."

Talia blinked in minor surprise, realizing all too late that she had touched a nerve. Schneizel continued regardless. "Aside from the African Front, we have been virtually unchallenged in every part of this war. With China annexed as you noted, and Zhukov's armies suffering from poor logistics, Russia has only been one victory after another for my brother Horatio. And with the European command structure in disarray, not at all helped by the inept state military leadership, we've all but entirely conquered Europe itself; even the British Isles are ours once again because of it."

His eyes then took on a certain ferocity underneath, causing Talia's to widen. "And yet, the war continues on regardless of these things. And worse, we've been hampered with our own poor decision making, such as the withdrawal of all officers and soldiers of noble status for the Day of the Founding, or as you've stated, the warrantless charge to Nuremberg that never got past the Rhine."

The Second Prince looked down, as if regret. "Sometimes I wonder if we want to win this war at all Talia; if my father really wants to defeat the EU and have Britannia encompass the entire world. I honestly can't tell anymore."

It was then Talia saw something that she rarely saw on the Second Prince, something he would not have shown anyone else: fatigue. Despite the almost absolute willpower he displayed to those around him, the war and recent events had taken their toll on him just as it would any other human being; in fact, they were only augmented by Schneizel's continued frustration with the Emperor, which was also something only Talia and very few others knew the prince held in the first place. Overall, the Schneizel she saw before her now was a far sight from the Schneizel el Britannia that was renowned throughout the Empire if not the world, and it terrified her on the inside that even _he _had become weighed down by all that has happened.

As such, Talia slowly reached out and grasped Schneizel's hand, her fingers slipping through his and tightening softly. "It will be alright." she spoke reassuringly, or at least tried to. "We might not have won yet, but at the same time we're far from losing. And despite all that's happened, I have faith that _you_, if no one else, will see us through." alongside that, she gave a soft smile. "You always have."

Schneizel nodded back, his lips folded into a small smile of his own. "I hope so, Talia." he replied, having his fingers enfold hers. "I sincerely hope so."

* * *

**Vauxhall Castle  
Pendragon, Holy Britannian Empire  
June 20, 2025 a.t.b.  
**  
Sitting upon the side of Mount Arcadia (once called Cew S-wegion), from which it overlooked the rest of Pendragon like a perched hawk, Vauxhall Castle was an imposing yet grand sight for all to witness. As the official headquarters of the Knights of the Round, the castle had existed as long as Pendragon itself had, even before the city had been officially recognized as the new capital of Britannia. As such, it looked more akin to a castle back on the original Britannian homeland of the British Isles than to any of the royal residences below, holding thick stone grey walls and towers, as well as a distinct lack of any glamour or flashiness on its exterior; instead it was built as a fortress, with focus on integrity and resilience. While this made it less appealing as a royal residence, Vauxhall's construction only made it perfected as the meeting place of the highest chivalric order of Britannia, a symbol of the collective strength and power of the Rounds.

Inside however, Vauxhall was just as luxurious as any other palace in the Imperial Capital, but at the same time it retained its military focus. The grey walls remained, but they were complimented by marble flooring and carpeting, alongside various decorations adorning the walls such as ancient weapons and pictures of various past battles, ones that took place from Washington's Rebellion to the first Great World War itself. Alongside these was a special section of the castle, which held marble statues of previous Knights of the Round who had distinguished themselves with particular honor and chivalry, ranging from Sir Richard Hector, the original Knight of One and founder of the order, to Lady Marianne Lamperouge, the Flash herself. But perhaps the most brilliant and awe-inspiring feature of Vauxhall was the object located in its center most chamber: a large, wooden round table engraved with the golden Britannian cross at its own center, an object that had existed since the reign of Empress Elizabeth III and taken from the Isles themselves upon her exile. It was around this table, sitting in each of the twelve chairs, which were marked by a specifically colored jewel that corresponded to their respective cloaks, that the Knights of the Round met and deliberated.

"What do you mean we're not going back to Africa?" Gino blurted out. "I know Lelouch is still recovering, but all the same we were on the verge of total victory before the Day of the Founding hit! Now that it's the _only _theater where the Europeans are regaining momentum, surely the Knights of the Round would be needed there most!"

"In spite of your objections, Gino, these are His Majesty's explicit orders, and we can only obey." Bismarck stated from the head of the table to the rest of the gathering. "...You, Suzaku and Anya will be transferred to Western Europe, where you will aid our forces, acting as field commanders and advisers to Field Marshal Montgomery as you had with Prince Lelouch. Luciano, you will be sent to Russia to aid Prince Horatio in his fight against Zhukov. Monica and Nonette, you two will be sent to Scandinavia, where you will aid our garrison in pacifying the rebels there. And of course, Dorothea and myself will remain in the capital. Any questions?"

From his area, Suzaku looked even more displeased about that assignment than Gino. "With respect Lord Waldstein, I request a change of assignment." this caused the Knight of One to look toward him, as did the others. "I would like to join the hunt for the Black Knights in the pacific."

At that, Gino resisted the urge to slap his forehead. "Damn it Suzaku, not again." he stated with annoyance. "We've already gone over this. The regular forces have spent the last month or so searching that region, from Vladivostok all the way to our western coast, and they've come up with nothing. Like it or not Black Knights just aren't there."

"They're there Gino." Suzaku stated, an unnerving determination in his expression. "I can _feel _it."

Bismarck himself closed his eye on that, sighing. "Regardless of your feelings, Suzaku, our liege's orders stand and they are not to be contested, especially by a Round. The Black Knights will be dealt with, but in the mean time you will focus your aggression toward the Europeans."

"Personally I see the wisdom in His Majesty's decision." Dorothea spoke up from her position, brushing aside her turquoise cloak as she did so. She looked Suzaku square in the eye. "Your obsession with Zero will be your undoing Suzaku, just as Pearl has shown us. Therefore it is better to let those _not _personally involved continue the hunt, while you display your skills in France or elsewhere."

Suzaku felt his composure start to slip from that, but he managed to hold onto it. "I still have my sworn duty to avenge Princess Euphemia and bring Zero to justice. Something even the Emperor recognizes."

"And yet he's sending you off to Europe anyway." Luciano spoke up nonchalantly, as he continued lounging back with his feet on the table. "Apparently he _also _recognizes that Princess Massacre isn't worth fighting for."

That one hit home as Suzaku felt his blood begin to boil, and this time it showed. "Speak of her name in that fashion again Sir Bradley..." he began, standing up challengingly. "...and you will face me in a duel."

At that challenge, Luciano flashed a vicious smile, not even bothering to stand up himself. "Oh, it seems you have forgotten that I am very well known as the Genius of Homicide." he stated, casually flicking his right hand up to reveal one his daggers. "Perhaps only being a Number without any true bloodline has..."

"Enough!" Bismarck barked, stalling both Knights before either could continue. Though usually taciturn, internal conflict were something the Knight of One was famously intolerant of. "We can all go on without fighting amongst ourselves. Continue this squabbling and I will _personally _settle things between the two of you."

The sheer fury of the Knight of One's voice was enough to silence the growing feud, with Suzaku sitting back down slowly and Luciano, who in spite of his own valiant effort couldn't keep the nervousness off his face, slipped the dagger away and took his legs off the table. It was probably a little bit more forceful than necessary, Bismarck admitted, but it got the job done. Besides, the last thing he wanted was Suzaku repeating his performance at Pearl and falling back on his rage; he still remembered the footage from his duel over Pearl, and how it actually terrified him enough to have it sealed. Even the other Rounds, save Dorothea as always, were unaware of how exactly the Knight of Seven fared in his fight with Zero, even more so the behavior patterns he displayed during.

_If only you knew _what_ you were prodding Luciano. _Bismarck thought grimly, a chill running down his spine. Part of him wished Luciano would end up pushing Suzaku to the breaking point, if only so that Suzaku, in that moment of madness, do unto the Knight of Ten a well deserved and highly colorful demise, one that would make the war crimes Luciano regularly performed look outright harmless. However, his care and concern for the young Knight of Seven kept him from allowing it. Lelouch wouldn't have forgiven him for it either.

"If I may enter in Lord Waldstein..." Monica spoke up in her usual softer tone, though it was enough to gain everyone's attention to her. "What are the Emperor's orders regarding Sir Ernst, Sir Raleigh, Lady Gurlukovich and Sir Castin? You failed to address them in your explanation to us."

"I would like to know as well." Anya spoke up from her end in that dull tone of hers.

"As would I." Nonette stated, her chin resting on her knuckles.

Bismarck opened his mouth to explain, but stopped himself. Instead, he turned to the man that was sitting directly to his right. "Perhaps you would like to explain, Johann."

Inquisitively, the other Knights of the Round look toward the one sitting on the left of Bismarck; the one who bore the distinctive red cloak of the second highest in the Rounds. This man was a tall, extremely handsome individual, possessing the same skin tone and hair color as Dorothea, but alongside a more passive expression as well as a narrower facial structure. Besides these features, this man projected an aura of calm authority that was unlike any of his compatriots, as if a meteor could fall from the sky and obliterate Pendragon all around yet do nothing to unnerve him, yet retaining the will to command whenever he deemed it necessary. It was from such traits that this man was regarded as the highest authority within the Rounds next to Knight of One, as well as its most skilled tactician and field commander.

As such, Johann Ernst, Knight of Two, leaned forward to answer. "Unfortunately, I cannot give you a direct answer to your questions." he spoke softly, almost conspiringly. "All I can tell you is that Michael, Nena and myself have been given a special mission by His Majesty, and that by his same order we are to remain silent about it, even to our fellow Knights of the Round." he then looked toward the fourth Round mentioned by Monica, who looked back with a smirk. "And while I am personally unaware of Sir Castin's assignment, I surmise that he has been given similar orders."

Needless to say, the rest of the Rounds, save for Bismarck and the previously mentioned, only gaped at that declaration. "Assignments that are secret even from the Rounds?" Gino sputtered, disbelievingly. "Since when does _that _happen?"

"If that is a joke, brother..." Dorothea began, looking toward her sibling with certain disturbance of her own. "...then I'm afraid I do not find it funny."

"This is no joke, dear sister." Johann replied in near monotone, closing his eyes to his younger sister's gaze. "His Majesty's orders are quite clear in this matter."

"Yeah, so you will all just have to live with it!" spoke another Knight of the Round, who was sitting between Dorothea and Anya. This particular Round was noteworthy for his distinct olive colored cloak, as well as his muscular build, dark blue hair and pale brown eyes. But most defining however was the near belligerent presence, which projected a temperament and naked force of will that was nominally absent in the other Rounds; indeed, this one seemed to lack any passive nature at all, even amongst his fellow knights. As if to emphasize that last point, the knight slammed his right fist into his open left palm, as if he really were challenging the rest of the Knights of the Round to take him on. "Otherwise I can't guarantee what will happen next!"

Nonette shot back an unimpressed leer at that particular Round. "One of these days fledgling, you're going to enrage someone a lot bigger than you with that attitude..."

"Hah! That's impossible Nonette, because there's _nobody _bigger than me!" Michael Raleigh, Knight of Five, declared with utmost confidence. The confidence held until certain realization dawned on him. "Well, except for His Majesty, and Bismarck of course. But aside from them, everyone else is as good as dead next to me, and...!"

"That will do Michael." Johann stated with a bit more force, immediately silencing his comrade. He then turned back to the rest. "All I can tell the rest of you is, should our mission succeed, we will be removing a potentially dangerous thorn from the Empire's side. One that could be equally dangerous as Zero."

Suzaku looked back at his fellow Round with peculiarity. "So from that statement, we can surmise you _are not _being sent after the Black Knights?"

Johann only looked back expressionlessly. "As I said, I cannot reveal any details."

"Oh come _on_, Johann. What's the harm in telling them?" spoke the chiding voice of another Round, who was coincidentally sitting between Suzaku and Nonette at the round table. As opposed to Johann and Michael, this Round was quickly notable for being an attractive looking woman, one with vibrant red hair, golden colored eyes and pale skin. Childishness seemed to be the dominant trait of this individual, as if in entire spite to her clear adult stature, she held a playful and impulsive nature that primarily sought amusement and intrigue in her surroundings, especially if it involved destruction in some way. Not the most "knightly" of personality traits, yet it somehow fit into the present company all the same. And as with all Rounds, she too held a distinctive cloak, colored dark red.

And now that all attention had turned to her, Nena Gurlukovich, Knight of Eight, continued on her tangent. "I mean, seriously, we're all His Majesty's finest here. I don't think anyone is going to leak our mission to the enemy..." she then looked over to Luciano and the Round sitting to his left. "...in spite of how some of us got to be Rounds in the first place."

Johann only shook his head. "Any other day, I would agree to that sentiment Nena. This time however, we are to keep silent."

"Yeah yeah, I know." Nena replied, looking somewhat unhappy. "Shame really, because it's definitely going to be one hell of a fight; even more than Suzaku's bout with the Desert Lion."

Suzaku cringed slightly at that, remembering how that battle went. This caused Nena to turn and look over at him. "Oh come on Suzaku, it wasn't that bad." she spoke teasingly. "I mean sure, you got your ass totally handed to you by Rommel, and you barely got out of it alive. But it was definitely an _awesome _duel!"

The Knight of Eight then looked back toward Anya. "Especially when you got involved Anya! That was the first time I saw you take the _Mordred _into a swordfight!"

Despite the praise, Anya herself seemed to fidget as well. "I would appreciate it if you didn't mention that again."

"Huh?" Nena looked back with confusion.

Ignoring the dumbfounded Knight of Eight, Gino looked over toward the second to last member of the Knights of the Round, who up to this point had remained entirely silent. "So I guess that means you have to keep your mouth shut too, huh?" he spoke, his tone unnaturally even and a far cry from its usual casualness. "As Nena said, that's a shame, because I'd like to know just what kind of trust His Majesty has invested in you, if any."

The Knight of Three was quickly greeted with a smile and a small laugh, causing the attention around the table to shift to the originator. "_Nom de dieu_ _Sire _Weinburg, you still suspect me after all this time?" the Round spoke with a particularly smooth accent that immediately signified a key fact: he was not Britannian. "Have I not served Britannia and _Sa Majeste_ for so long? Is my oath to _les couronne _so insufficient that you still question my loyalties?"

"Those phrases alone are reason for any of us to suspect you." Gino shot back, not at all phased by the opposite Round's manner. "Not to mention the fact that, unlike Suzaku, you have yet to prove that you're actually trustworthy. Or that you _won't _sell us out for greener pastures, just like you did your former country."

Again the Round laughed, all the while leaning back, reaching his hands up from under his grey cloak and placing them behind his bright silver hair. His red eyes gleamed with seemingly amiable amusement, as if the Knight of Three had stated a joke to be laughed at and not to be taken seriously. Of course, this was counter to the gazes the other Rounds, once more save Bismarck, were giving off, which spoke similar volumes of trust as Gino's. Even Suzaku, who himself wasn't Britannian and would have easily appreciated another foreigner in the Rounds, couldn't bring himself to invest any manner of trust or faith in this man sitting four seats from him. It especially didn't help that this particular Round was not only aware of his fellow knights thinking so little of him, but that he seemed entirely unconcerned about it and, much like he was doing now to Gino, treated their disposition with amusement. And just as Gino had said, he had yet to change any of it, or even attempt to.

Such was the character of Descartes Castin, Knight of Eleven, who continued to look relax in spite of the chilling atmosphere in the room. "Oh, you have no need to worry _mei amis_. No need at all."

The Frenchman continued, this time looking out at the rest of the table. "Britannia is my home country, as much as it is for any of you. To betray it would be the same as burning down my own house; it would only leave me vulnerable and without domain. _Sa Majeste_ knows this, otherwise he would not have allowed me into this cloak, much less given me a mission so vital that I must keep it from the rest of you, _mes compagnons d'armes_."

He soon leaned forward. "Think of me as you wish, but these facts only remain." he then smirked as he added on more phrase. "_C'est la vie._"

The air seemed to only grow colder in the next few moments, as did the stares the other Rounds were giving toward their comrade; Luciano even started to thumb one of his knives from underneath the table. Despite the hostility however, Descartes' point remained, and so long as His Majesty backed him, there was nothing the others, not even Bismarck, could do with his pompous display or gaining any knowledge about his own mission.

As such, Bismarck softly coughed into his fist, signaling the other Rounds to drop the issue and look back toward him. "Now that you all know your assignments, I suggest you make whatever appointments you need to. Britannia has been setback in this war long enough, and the Knights of the Round being out of the action is a part of it. As such, you will all deploy in the next few days, again per His Majesty's orders."

He then stood up and snapped his fist over his heart. "May the glory of victory be yours." he stated. _"All Hail Britannia!"_

The other Knights of the Round were quick to stand up and place their fists over their hearts as well. _"All Hail Britannia!"_ the replied unanimously.

They then went their separate ways, with only Bismarck and Dorothea standing by and watching the others depart. Both wore impassive facial expressions, and both held the same unease underneath.

* * *

**Kunigami Proving Ground  
Kunigami, Independent Republic of Okinawa  
June 20, 2025 a.t.b.  
**  
_"Kurayami kara kikoeru kimi no koe no naka ni tatta hitotsu mitsuketa shinjitsu...!"  
_  
No sooner than when the beginning of JAM PROJECT's _RISING FORCE_ sang out over the surrounding loudspeakers did the five _Guren Isshikis_ exit the hangar and speed into the proving ground. From that, the several dozen _Burai_ drones quickly detected their approach and began to open fire with their machine guns and bazookas. In response the five machines increased their speed, zig-zagging around each burst in almost perfect synchronization, before responding in kind with their own radiant wave surgers. This in turn caused the _Burais _to go into the evasion as well, and sure enough, the proving grounds became a full melee between the automated drones and the five newcomers.

As he dove into the melee with great spirit, Rai couldn't help but feel impressed at how efficiently his _Isshiki_ moved under his control, and he was sure his fellow devicers were too. In truth, the purpose of this exercise was to test out the latest round of innovations Rakshata had done to the _Isshikis_' internals, which she claimed would bring them closer to the _Nishiki_'s level. While Rai wasn't sure if that would ever happen, he had to admit that their current performance and control were above and beyond that of any other knightmare he had piloted, including the _Lancelot Club_ and the _Gekka Pre-Production Test Type_. He could only imagine how well those upgrades would work in a literal battlefield.

So smooth was the ride that Rai had no trouble running up to a _Burai_ drone, from which he waited until the very last second before sliding aside from its machine gun burst, then moved behind it and took hold of its head with the three fingered claw. From there, it was no issue blasting radiation through the chassis, causing the brown tinted frame to turn a bright and gooey red, before jumping away and allowing it to explode. Rai grinned with certain malice at the explosion. _That _never_ gets old.  
_  
The others were having just as much fun with their units. Alfred bagged himself a pair of _Burais_ with a radiant wave blast, while Charmelle herself performed her trademark Hunchback Strike on another unit, leaping onto its cockpit pod and causing it to kneel under the strain. From there, she had also no had no issue utilizing her own surger and incinerating the unit whole, before jumping away just as the now thoroughly boiled unit exploded. Further on, Liliana and Marika boxed several more _Burai _into a kill zone, and then rained grenades upon them all with coordinated attacks of their own. For the ones that managed to survive their initial onslaught the two quickly drew their "Ryogo Otsugata Tozantous" and moved into cut down.

"Damn are these things a _dream_!" Alfred called out as he gunned down another _Burai_ himself, then drawing his own "Ryogo Otsugata Tozantou" to make a running slash at another. Since this was only a mock battle, he wasn't wearing his Glaston mask, and so his eyes shown with bewilderment toward his machine. "It's like driving on a cloud!"

"I didn't think these machines could get any better!" Charmelle replied as she unleashed a surger beam through a trio of _Burais_, causing them to melt and explode in seconds.

"Hmph. So easily impressed." Liliana stated as she fired her slash harken into another _Burai_, then retracted both it and the ensnared knightmare. From that, it was all too simple to bring up her surger, grasp the helpless drone and incinerate it in one go. After the explosion, she gazed at the glow emanating from her claw, smiling almost demonically. "Although even I have to admit, these latest upgrades will make the slaughter all the more _interesting_."

Some distance away from her, Marika, as always, remained more subdued, preferring to let her actions taken against her targets speak her opinion. Reaching out with her surger, she fired a machine gun-style burst of radiant wave shots, which rained over several _Burai_'s at once. Each individual shot was less powerful than a traditional beam, but yet still enough to puncture through the target knightmares' armor and turn them into melted scrap. Obviously, Marika was just as taken with her machine as her comrades were with theirs.

The battle only lasted for a few more minutes, coincidentally ending just as the background music ran out. Amidst the ruined and oft melted remains of the drones, the five _Gurens _stood in warrior fashion, their orange sensor eyes each gazing out over their handiwork. Looking over his monitors, Rai himself nodded with satisfaction at what he and his comrades had done to their opposition. "You've really outdone yourself this time Shakti."

"Not at all." Rakshata replied nonchalantly, as if only barely interested. "I just needed something to use those leftover _Nishiki_ parts on, and your _Isshikis_ were obviously the only choice. And just to spice things up, I upgraded the drive systems a little further. Hardly my best work."

Charmelle chuckled from her end. "Even so, we definitely appreciate it." she spoke. "Almost makes me look forward to our next assignment."

"Eh, I wouldn't go _that_ far." Alfred replied. "Though personally, I can't wait to see how the rest of Zero Squadron performs in these."

"I'll say this much, you people are always a spectacle." Rakshata replied, then taking a soft puff from her pipe. She then looked toward Rai. "Shame I can't mass produce that model. It would certainly be an awesome sight; an army of _Gurens_ charging down from the sky like the _Vanara Sena_, burning their way through the Britannians in a manner that would make Shiva proud."

"Can't be helped. The _Guren_ is a specialized unit and not many are able to pilot it. Even these older model _Isshikis_ would be more than most devicers could handle." Rai replied, bringing up the _Isshiki_ design schematics on his computer. "Either way though, I'm grateful you modified my unit as well. I haven't piloted a knightmare this efficient since my old _Gekka._" he then smirked as he thought of a Hindu reference of his own. "In fact, I could almost say it's been reincarnated into this form."

Rakshata actually laughed at that. "And it didn't even have to go through the Samsara to do so. I really am the Great Mother."

Before Rai could reply, another voice came over the radio._ "I don't know about that. I see you more as Death, the destroyer of worlds."  
_  
Suddenly Rakshata became more far more serious and attentive as the five knightmare pilots became fully alert. "Who is this?" Rakshata demanded. "What are you doing on this channel?"

The mysterious voice only laughed in response. _"My apologies. I have heard many things about the great Zero Squadron as of late, so when I learned of this little evaluation, I just had to see them in action."  
_  
And then something strange took form in front of the five: four transparent scarlet "eyes", floating in midair and looking down at the _Gurens_. With the open sky behind them, the eyes looked very much supernatural, as if an evil spirit were staring upon the arena and the five warriors within. _"And I must say, you have all performed spectacularly, far beyond _my own_ expectations even_._ This is not easily done, as I am a harsh judge. Even to fellow Black Knights such as yourselves."  
_  
Despite the warm summer climate on the outside, the air seemed to chill between the five and Rakshata, each of whom looked upon the strange "eyes" with equal discomfort. "If you are one of us, then you should have no reason to be hidden." Liliana stated firmly, looking ready to bring her handgun on the phantasm before her. "Show yourself."

Even though there was no video image, one could tell the owner of the voice smiled as he said. "As you wish."

No sooner than had that sentence been uttered did the shroud around the eyes fall, taking complete form upon the widening gazes of the assembled Black Knights. The form was obviously a knightmare frame, one not far removed from the design doctrine of the Chawla Design Bureau, but at the same time a far cry from an _Akatsuki_.

The body structure was extremely thin, with a nearly anorexic torso attached to long and slender arms and legs, the arms holding clawed fingers while the legs ended in four large, curved toes. Covering the torso were segments of long and angular armor, which rounded, all colored in the standard black but with grey and red highlights. The cockpit pod on the back was clearly built into the frame, and possessed the four wings of an Air Glide Wing System, but these wings were far shorter than those used by standard knightmares, and the pod itself was larger than average as well. And finally, there was the head, which was the most distinguishable portion of the unit; rather than the standard mono-eye, the head unit held a light grey colored "facemask", which held four eye camera units, and a helmet piece that contained a factsphere sensor in its center, covered over by a purple "orb" not unlike the one on Zero's mask. Even now those four eyes glowed in malevolent crimson, while the orb "flashed" as the factsphere underneath scanned the surrounding area.

"_Shinkirou_...!" Charmelle muttered out loud with growing fear, instantly recognizing the knightmare and what it represented.

"Shinobi Corps!" Alfred called out after, quickly redrawing his "Ryogo Otsugata Tozantou" and bringing his surger up to bare. The other units were equally quick to the same, Rai included.

"_Yare yare_, that's more of a reaction than I wanted." the _Shinkirou _pilot stated, though sounding more amused than put off. "I assure you all I didn't come here for a fight. And even if I did, I'm still on your side."

"Are you?" Alfred barked, his gaze speaking volumes of belief.

"Enough." Rai stated, silencing the others before an argument, or worse, could erupt. He then turned back to the opposite knightmare. "This is Major Rai Hitsugaya of 8th Squadron. May I ask who you are and what you are doing here?"

At once, a video image appeared, displaying a young man with black-grey hair, yellowish brown eyes, pronounced tear troughs under his eyes and a disarmingly friendly smile. "A pleasure to make the acquaintance of the Blue Thunder God himself." the man spoke softly. "I am Major Setsuna Shinozaki, and as I said before, I am here only to observe. I mean no harm to any of you."

Rai arched an eyebrow. _General Shinozaki's son is it? _"Quite a peculiar way of observing us Major."

"Peculiar but necessary." Setsuna replied in that smoothened tone of his. "If I had come out in the open before, it would have surely disrupted your battle. And there was no guarantee that you wouldn't have mistaken me for an enemy..." His lips folded into a knowing smirk. "Friendly fire incidents have been known to happen, unfortunately."

"I can't imagine why." Alfred spoke again, teeth grit. "Just how many people have you 'disappeared' from Okinawa and elsewhere? How many of your 'fellow' Black Knights have you attacked without provocation?"

This caused the shinobi only to laugh somewhat. "I've heard many things about you Captain Alfred Gaius Darlton, formerly of the Glaston Knights, but I've never taken you as being the ungrateful sort."

"Ungrateful!?" Alfred replied viciously, his _Guren_'s twin eyes flashing as if angered. "I should be thankful to you and the rest of your corps for all you've done!?"

Despite the rage behind the Zero Squadron pilot's response, Setsuna remained undeterred. "Yes, as a matter of fact, you should be." he said knowingly. "Those 'disappearings' you refer to removed internal threats, namely Britannian loyalists, from Okinawa before they could report back to their masters. Meanwhile, those Black Knights you mention either wished to launch insurrections against the High Command or to breakaway for whatever reason, and were therefore attacked and neutralized to prevent such action."

Setsuna's smirk increased. "Really, why do you think that, even after eight years, neither Britannia nor the rest of the world remembers Okinawa being separate from Japan's sakuradite network? Why do you think that, up until Pearl Harbor, they believed that nothing survived the Devastation? Surely even you would have realized that there was another hand at work, ensuring that this island and its inhabitants remain secret from the rest of humanity. All so that the Britannians never return to finish what they started."

As Alfred again felt tempted to take a potshot at the _Shinkirou_, Charmelle had her unit step forward. "Is that why you're here to observe us then? To determine whether or not Zero Squadron will be a threat in the future?"

"Of course not." Setsuna laughed a little at that suggestion, as if it were a good joke. "I am here because I wanted to see what I would be working alongside with in the future."

All five pilots gaped at that while Rakshata and her team, who were still listening over the radio, remained silent.

"Now that the Black Knights will be taking the offensive, the Shinobi Corps has been tasked to operate with the main forces in the field." Setsuna explained, deliberately ignoring the obvious shock he was causing. "Along that line, my unit has been assigned to the 1st Mobile Assault Force aboard the _Ikaruga_. As such, I will be fighting alongside the rest of you from here on out."

While he didn't know how the other four were taking it, Rai himself couldn't believe his ears. Up until this point, the Shinobi Corps had worked autonomously from the rest of the Black Knights proper; they might as well had still been the _Shinozaki Ryuu_, the renegade _ninjitsu_ school that fought against the Britannian occupation on its own. Sure, he knew that the Shinobi Corps reported to the Black Knights High Command like every other BK unit, but that didn't mean the High Command was directing it; indeed, the Corps remained unofficially separate from the rest of the Black Knights chain, even when it had first been established from the _Shinozaki Ryuu_. As such, the Corps had pretty much done whatever it wished for the last few years, only following the orders of its real master General Hanzo Shinozaki, while the rest of the BK and Okinawa were forced to live with the results of their actions.

But now that all changed. Now the Shinobi Corps would be truly integrated with the main Black Knights forces, and would operate alongside them in the field, for better or worse. And that still didn't guarantee that they would follow orders from above, at least those that countermanded the elder Shinozaki's.

"I don't believe you." Alfred spoke up once more. "There's no way Zero would allow this to happen."

Setsuna's smirk suddenly took on a diabolical tone. "Who do you think gave the order?"

Even greater shock erupted among the five at that, with Alfred's face becoming somewhat whiter. All the while Setsuna continued. "Yes, even Zero recognizes the necessity of the _shinobi_. But you have no need to worry; on our end, General Shinozaki also recognizes Zero's authority in the Black Knights, and has so ordered the Corps to the same. Thus we will be taking our orders from Zero from this point forward, just like all of you have done."

"This is insane." Liliana growled, moving past the other five and angling her surger at the _Shinkirou_.

"Liliana!" Charmelle shouted in turn.

"Stand down Rei Five!" Rai yelled as well. "That's an order!"

Ignoring her comrades, Liliana's eyes narrowed back into Setsuna's. "Unlike Alfred, I don't much care about your past activities; in fact, I actually admire your organization for them." she said simply, causing Setsuna to bow a little, as if he were accepting a compliment. "But that doesn't mean I'm stupid enough to work with the lot of you, so that you can stab me in the back at the first opportunity."

Once more, Setsuna took the reply lightheartedly. "So what are you going to do then? Kill me instead?"

Now it was Liliana's turn to smirk. "The thought had crossed my mind, ninja." she spoke with certain jackal-like vehemence. "Give me one reason why we _shouldn't_."

The shinobi grinned again. "Well for one thing..." he began, his eyes now giving back a challenging gaze._ "You're outnumbered."  
_  
With that, two more quadruple red eyes flashed on either side of Liliana's _Guren_, just before dropping their respective cloaks and revealing the rest, both of which held an fully extended, arm mounted ninjato blade over the knightmare's cockpit pod. Then, just as the other four were about to react, more quadruple eyes flashed around them, one after another, right before the accompanying _Shinkirou_ would decloak and reveal itself, wrist mounted hadron blaster properly aimed to strike any one of the _Gurens_ at the given order. In all, there were eleven _Shinkirous_ present besides Setsuna's, and each and every one of them had the _Isshikis _dead to rights in a perfect kill box.

When he saw that all five _Isshiki _pilots knew they were trapped, much to their myriad reactions, Setsuna gleamed triumphantly. "We are the 18th Shinobi Squadron 'Iga'." he began. "For hundreds of years, the force that we represent had defended Japan from her enemies, both those outside her borders and within."

Setsuna then looked away slightly, as if in remorse. "Today that Japan is no more, but her people and her spirit live on, as does our creed." he looked back, smirk increasing. "Thus, we shall again take up arms against the enemies of the Rising Sun and fight from within the shadow to serve the light, all for the day that our nation may be born anew."

The deliberate obnoxiousness returned to his grin. "And nothing, not even our misunderstanding comrades, will obstruct our success." He stated, earning him further hostility from the _Isshiki_ pilots, who were quite powerless to do anything but glare at this point. Exactly the way Setsuna wanted it, at least for the time being. **"For we are the Shinobi Corps, hellhounds from the depths of Yomi, _inugami_ summoned to cast as shadow to a glorious nation. One whose name was lost to history, but with dread soon verily remembered. _Remember Japan_."**

* * *

**Black Knights High Command  
Naha, Independent State of Okinawa  
****June 20, 2025 a.t.b.  
**  
With a purpose in his step and the Crusade in his eyes, which were now shielded by his mask, Lelouch wasted no time in walking down the long hallway to the briefing room, Kallen and C.C. walking beside him. He felt invigorated, not unlike when he first accepted being Zero again. After two months of keeping to the shadows, he would finally be able to advance in his plan toward worldwide liberation, even if only in a few more steps. Of course, that didn't mean it would all smooth sailing; even with the success of Pearl still lingering in worldwide affairs, chances were there would be more than one setback waiting for him in his next operation, but that didn't stop Lelouch from feeling the rush of anticipation.

After a few more moments, they reached the double doors at the end of the hall, where two Black Knight Security Corps soldiers, identified by the silver _manji _insignia on their uniforms, were standing guard. The guardsmen were both quick to salute upon Lelouch's approach, but once more Lelouch had to refrain himself from returning it, instead letting Kallen do just that. Following this, Kallen nodded to them, giving the non-verbal command, and in response the guardsman quickly opened the doors and revealed the inside to the trio.

Upon the sight before him, Lelouch allowed himself to smile. The room itself wasn't anything noteworthy, aside from it taking after Britannian standards for interior design rather than Japanese; white and gold lined walls, purple curtains, large windows, faded blue carpeting, a fireplace on one side with a portrait of Commodore Matthew Perry and company meeting with Japanese officials hanging over it (likely another surviving piece from the Area 11 Government Bureau), and other features that seemed more along the lines of who the Black Knights were fighting against than anything else. However, at the center of the room, sitting around the long horseshoe shaped wooden table, was what made Lelouch grin: men and women all dressed in Black Knight uniforms, each holding golden chevrons on their shoulders and silver aiguillettes. The same men and women who had been conversing with each other until his entry, from which they quickly turned to meet him all the while becoming silent.

For a moment, he glanced at the officers before him, among which were Ohgi and Tohdoh, Lelouch couldn't help but again feel amazed at how the Black Knights had grown. When he first formed the organization, he knew it would develop past the shadow of the late Naoto Kouzuki's resistance as time went on, but he never thought it would develop to such a size and complexity that it would require its own General Staff to regulate.

Quickly, his mind flashed over the mental notes he had made for each of them, all the while his mask was busy displaying the appropriate records and data of any his eyes laid on. With the exception of Ohgi, the present High Command staff were each highly reputed veterans of the Second Pacific War; even the youngest in their number, Jacqueline Fletcher, was a legend in her own right. The Japanese officers were former upper echelon officers of the JSDF who, upon the orders of the late Taizo Kirihara, fled to Okinawa after the war's end, while the Britannian officers were former Imperial Forces commanders who were unlucky enough to be in Japan when Operation Nero was initiated, but lucky enough to survive it. They were each aware of Zero's true identity and cause thanks to C.C. and Ohgi, yet both had assured him of their loyalty, whether to the aforementioned identity or cause if not both. Overall, they were exactly what Lelouch would have wanted in a command staff; experienced in war and decisive in their respective fields, such that they had earned their original ranks and posts through their skills and successes instead of whatever noble title or pull with the Kururugi administration any of them may have possessed. They would definitely give him tactical advantages in the near future, especially against enemy commanders who had moved up through the latter methods.

After a few moments, Lelouch began speaking. "General Ohgi, how soon will our airship fleet be ready for full deployment?"

Anticipation gleamed in Ohgi's eyes, as with the other Generals. "I am happy to report that our airships may deploy at any time Zero."

Lelouch acknowledged with a nod, then turning to Tohdoh. "And what of the Knightmare Corps, General Tohdoh?"

"Our knightmare forces are fully replenished and ready for combat sir. You may only give the word." Tohdoh replied as well, managing to hold his own anticipation in a little better than his compatriots.

"Good, then it is time I inform all of you of our second campaign." Lelouch stated as Kallen and C.C. both took to opposite corners of the room, leaving him to stand alone for a second.

From there, the revolutionary moved to the side of the room and inserted a disc into a nearby slot. Another moment later, part of the wall slid away to reveal a giant monitor, which quickly flickered on, displaying a full map of lower Asia, with a certain segment distinguished in red. "Our target is China, currently Area 22." he began. "Our objective is its complete liberation from Britannian occupation, followed by the reestablishment of the Chinese Federation."

He let a moment pass to let that sink in before continuing. "Despite Russia and Europe holding most of the public's attention in this war, Area 22 and the other ex-Federal states are still considered vital territory to the Empire, if only because they represent a third of the world and are lined out alongside the southern Russian border. On the other hand, like Japan, China had been annexed into Britannia proper _before_ its military power could be exhausted. Yet _unlike _Japan, China never went to war to begin with, and so the CLA remained almost completely intact when it was forced to go underground. Because of this and other key factors, Britannia has invested a considerable amount of resources in retaining control of those Areas, but have yet to totally pacify them, all the while local resistances remain as fervent as ever."

Lelouch smirked from behind his mask. "In other words, we are presented a perfect opportunity to further change the course of the war _without_ having to invest too much of our own resources. As I have told you all before, our _modus operadi_ will be to aid local resistance and representatives of former governments, and outside those of the European Union, which are still at war, _none _are as large nor as far from defeat as the Chinese Liberation Army. We need only reach out to them."

"If I may Zero." Nagumo spoke up. "If the Chinese are as willing to fight as you say, and hold so much manpower and equipment, then why do they have yet to repel the Britannians themselves?"

Lelouch's smirk increased. "A reasonable question General Nagumo. The answer is simple: while the Chinese Federation held one of the largest military forces in the world, it was also one of the most poorly trained and equipped. The majority of their soldiers were conscripts that were given little in terms of proper training, while their commanders, with certain exceptions, were mostly political appointees who held little tactical skill, much less actual combat experience, to speak of; indeed, the survival rates in the Chinese Liberation Army were quite low compared to those of the EU and Britannia. Fortunately their higher level leadership has become far more competent since going rogue, thanks to certain renovations made by their leading Senior General, whom I will speak of later."

He then flipped tapped a switch on his hand remote, which caused several images of Chinese vehicles, including the _Gun Ru_ knightmare frame, to appear on the screen. "Meanwhile, it has been surmised by Britannia that Chinese military technology is ten, in some cases twenty, years behind that of Europe and the Empire. Their main forces comprise mostly of obsolete armor and vehicles, including the fourth generation knightmare _Gun Ru_, as well as a small number of the somewhat newer _Long Dan_-class landship. Their air force utilizes older model _Jiantou_ fighters and _Dongfeng_ bombers with no airships to speak of, while their navy, at least when it was active, comprised of antiquated destroyers and frigates with some submarines and one incomplete battlecarrier, the _Liaoning_."

A few more images popped up of Chinese vehicles and soldiers popped up as Lelouch went on. "Suffice to say, while the former Chinese military forces possess much in the way of quantity, it is their lack of _quality_ that has kept them from victory for so long, especially when the Britannians began deploying airships and float equipped knightmares in the Areas. Fortunately for them, _we_hold more than enough in technological advancement to cover for those weaknesses; it is this trait above all others that will make us invaluable as allies to them, when the time comes."

Lelouch waited to see if anyone had more to inquire. When no questions came, he moved on. "Now that we've covered the reasons for this operation, I will now move onto those who will be involved."

He tapped a switch again, causing the current images to disappear and be replaced with a profile shot of a stern looking man with swept back and faded red hair, a prominent Imperial mustache, tanned skin and some of the coldest looking eyes one could ever find on a human being. Underneath, one could see the upper portions of a blue Imperial Army uniform that was somewhat covered over by a white cloak, the rank markings of a Lieutenant General visible on the right collar. "This will be our main adversary in the region: Lieutenant General Reginald Calares, Viceroy of Area 22 and commander of the Seventh Army. Calares is more or less a stereotypical Britannian general: stems from a noble family out of Argentine, entered the Imperial Army at an early age and steadily rose up the ranks, mostly through political connections. He holds some combat experience from the conquests of Indochina and the Philippines, the latter during which he was promoted to Brigadier, but nothing substantial compared to the Cornelias and Darltons of the world. In fact, it was long determined he made a better occupational commander than anything else, which is one of the reasons he was selected to administer the Area."

The Generals all nodded, as they knew what that last sentence really meant: Calares was a buffoon who couldn't make it as a fighting general, yet wasn't valued enough to gain a higher echelon posting in the Imperial Homeland, so the brass sent him to the military equivalent of the "old generals home". The fact it was during war time also didn't help his image either.

Even so, Lelouch continued a little longer on Calares. "As a strategist, Calares is... adequate at best. While not particularly creative, he is capable of analyzing the situation and responding accordingly; he particularly likes to use overwhelming force against his opponents, whether they be actual combatants or just rebellious Numbers. For this and several other reasons, he has held the CLA at bay for seven years, but has yet to defeat it." Lelouch turned back to face the others. "As such, it is best not to underestimate him... but all the same do not expect _too _much competence on his part."

That earned him some light laughter from those assembled, and even smirks from hard-faces like Kondo and Halsey. Lelouch himself grinned at the notion, before moving on. "Now, in spite of his position and title, Calares is _not _the true administrator of Area 22. Instead he functions more as the Britannian overseer, while functional control lies in the hands of these men..."

The next image was of a group of elderly Chinese men, all dressed in dark red renditions of the infamous "Zhongshan suit", standing over a young white haired girl, herself dressed in more vibrant garb, in a meeting room of sorts. The men were fairly indistinguishable from each other, save for one toward the center that held a larger than average girth and was completely bald, while the others had some semblances of grey or white hair. Of the group, which counted to thirty-five, the fat one and seven others had red circles around their faces.

"Those circled are the infamous Luoyang Eight, the members of the Chinese State Council who conspired with Prince Schneizel in arranging political marriage between Chairwoman Tianzi, pictured center, and Crown Prince Odysseus, which of course led to China's annexation. In exchange for their supporting Schneizel, these eight councilors were spared imprisonment with the rest of the Chinese government and were instead given _de facto _control of the land they betrayed. While Calares ensures military control of the region for Britannia, these eight handle the day to day administration of Area 22, where they divert whatever little resources China has left to their own possession, all the while more and more of their former countrymen suffer in ever escalating poverty." Lelouch explained.

"I thought the State Council already held functional control over the Federation, after the position of State Chairman was reduced to a _de jure _position." Fletcher asked with a narrowed glance toward the eight. "Why would these eight turn to Britannia when they already had power over the country?"

"For the same reason most countries and causes are betrayed over: wealth." Lelouch replied. "Beside administrative control over the Area, Schneizel gave each of the eight personal territory and warranting titles within the Imperial Court, as well as equally fair amounts of money. For example, the large one in the center, former Premier Zhao Hao, now holds the title of Duke of Henan, as well as a estimated sum of ten million pounds in his estate. The man next to him, former Vice Premier Gao Hai, holds the title of Duke of Hunan and eight million pounds in his own estate. The other six themselves hold similar titles and monetary gains."

At the image of the eight, Lelouch flashed a small sneer behind his mask. "It's just as Orwell predicted if you think about it; the pigs first enslave the other farm animals, then after learning to walk upright and wear clothes, seek out the humans and become part of their company."

Lelouch turned back to face his commanders. "That being said, it is these eight, most of all, who we are seeking to overthrow." he declared. "Through their greed, they are _exactly_ what I created the Black Knights to fight against: tyrants who endlessly prey on the weak and corrupt the world around them with their very presence. Compared to them, Calares and his forces are merely a sideshow; _they _are the ones, above all others, who must be removed from power!"

Silence dawned for a moment as the High Command staff considered their leader's words, but Lelouch, after taking that time to compose himself, soon spoke again. "And remove them we shall, but not without support, which now brings me to the CLA and its own leading commander."

The image of the State Councilmen (and Tianzi) was quickly replaced with a profile shot of a striking Chinese man, dressed in an ornate purple uniform, and possessing noticeably long black hair and hawk-like eyes. "General Li Xingke. Or as he is referred by his Britannian opponents, the Chinese Tiger."

Adding onto that image, another one was produced, displaying Xingke walking down an outside corridor in the Vermillion Forbidden City with several other CLA officers, all dressed in similar purple uniforms to his own. It was quite noticeable that those other officers were at least twenty years older than Xingke himself. "While there is little available for his background, it is known that as a boy, Xingke was taken in by former Chairman Jiang Jintao, who would raise him as an adopted son. Then when he reached the right age, Xingke would enter Peng Dehuai Military Academy, from which he would graduate at the top of his class, then rise to the rank of General and gain command of the Militarized Zone of Jinan in just a few years time. He held this position all the way to the annexation, from which Xingke, then the highest ranking General _not _yet apprehended by the Britannians, would successfully take command of the CLA and go underground. He's been leading the fight against the occupation ever since."

Lelouch nodded to the other Generals. "Now, I know what your first impression is; since Xingke is likely half the age his rank usually warrants, the only way he gained the position was due to his prior connection to Chairman Jiang."

Once more behind his mask, the prince turned revolutionary would smirk. "I will tell you now that is only _half_-true; while his rank is partly due to the late Chairman's influence, as well as that of his daughter's, Xingke indeed deserves it alongside his nickname. Whereas Calares is merely an adequate commander, Xingke is the ideal prodigy, perhaps _the_ best military commander China has produced in over a century. He is skilled in both offensive _and_ defensive tactics, is able to make the best of what resources he possesses, is knowledgeable on most modern weapons including knightmares, and above everything else, he is a _creative_ and _unorthodox _strategist." Lelouch paused for a moment. "Though he can be overconfident with his plans at times."

"In other words..." Spruance spoke up with a smirk of his own. "...he's just like you."

That caused Lelouch to again pause and consider for a second, before nodding. "If you put it that way..." he replied. "I would say that he is as good a tactician as I am, and as strong a warrior as Suzaku Kururugi."

That caused Nagumo to look up with peculiarity. "By that you mean he can pilot a knightmare?"

Lelouch nodded. "From the reports I've received of him, he can perform similarly to Suzaku... in a _Gun Ru_."

"_Yare yare..._" Yamaguchi murmured around his cigarette. "That's rather hard to imagine. Somebody piloting a _Gun Ru_ like the _Lancelot_."

Ohgi shivered at the thought. "It certainly makes one wonder how Xingke could use a seventh or eighth generation knightmare."

"Yes, but how good of a politician is he?" Kondo suddenly spoke up bleakly.

In response, Lelouch crossed his arms, still under his cloak, behind his back. "What are you implying, General Kondo?"

That inquiry caused Kondo to eye the phantom before them. "That is your strategy, is it not? Remove the Britannians and these eight traitors, and then place Xingke as the new Chairman once the Federation is reestablished." he stated. "So I ask Zero: how good is he as a political leader? Because as much as Xingke might be a military commander, he doesn't strike me as the type who would fit into a government position."

That caused Fletcher to raise an eyebrow. "You can tell that just by looking at a picture of him?"

"More his choice of universities." Kondo replied, folding his arms. "Most who aspire a place in the People's Government would have gone to Hong Kong University, since that was 'Great Leader' Sun's old haunt. Instead, Xingke went to Peng Dehuai, which guarantees him a military position for life instead, unless he were to become so valuable to the Party that they would allow him to transfer to the government sector."

"That doesn't mean he wouldn't make a good Chairman." Nagumo pointed out.

"No, but it does show where Xingke's priorities lie, and it isn't becoming the next Chinese head of state." Kondo summarized. He then looked back at Zero. "That is unless you _command _him."

Lelouch knew perfectly what Kondo was insinuating, as did everyone else at the table, much to their discomfort. But much to his surprise, Lelouch answered. "That would be an option, General, except for one detail." he replied. "Xingke isn't the one I'm after."

"Eh?" Kondo looked up with a raised eyebrow, echoing the rest of the command staff's thoughts.

"It is as you said Kondo. Xingke is an excellent military leader, but lacks the political skills necessary for any head of state. Nor do I think he aspires the Chairmanship himself." Lelouch stated knowingly. "Fortunately, there is another."

With that, the image of the State Council flickered back upon the screen. Only instead of it remaining in full, the image zoomed past the various councilman and centered to the center, upon the singular albino girl with regal clothes and near emotionless eyes. Needless to say, the majority of the High Command gaped at the image, while the rest held inquisitive stares.

"Tianzi!?" Ohgi stammered.

Lelouch continued, looking at the image himself. "If her official records are to be believed, she would be twenty three years old at this time, six of which she would spent as Chairwoman; logically, she would have extensive knowledge of China's political workings."

He then looked back at the Generals. "But more importantly, to the Chinese people, she is not merely a leader; she is a symbol of purity and hope, a true Child of Heaven. It is for this reason that the State Council used her as a figurehead after her father's death; the same reason that, upon her taking the mantle of Chairwoman once more, the people will follow her."

"Even so Zero, she is out of our reach." Fletcher stated in turn. "After she was wed to Prince Odysseus, Tianzi was taken to the Homeland. We would not be able to liberate her, even if we did know her exact location..."

"That is unless..." Yamamoto began to speak for the first time, a knowing smile crossing his face. "...Tianzi never truly left China." he said, looking back at Lelouch.

Lelouch smiled in turn. "Indeed." he said, causing everyone to look back at him. "Officially, it is just as General Fletcher has said; Tianzi was wed to Odysseus, and then promptly transported to Britannia, where she now resides as a Princess. _Unofficially_, things turned out far differently..."

He tapped the remote again, causing Xingke's image to reappear. "Just as the wedding was taking place, Xingke staged a coup and attempted to seize Luoyang. Obviously it failed, but in the confusion he managed to liberate Tianzi and flee with the remainder of his forces. The pursuit force followed him up to the Shentu Ravine, but was cut down in a well placed ambush."

From his side, Nagumo found the explanation dubious but not all that surprising. "How do you know this, especially when the wedding was closed to public view?"

Lelouch had no problem answering this. "Because I was there." again looks of surprise and dubiousness appeared over certain Generals' faces.

"I thought you were attending West Point at the time." Kondo spoke gruffly.

"I was, but by coincidence the wedding was to take place during my spring break. Schneizel invited me, and I accepted." Lelouch explained, then pausing as he recalled those events with familiarity. "'We ask this question: by the Voice of Heaven, the Roar of the Land and the Hearts of the People, how does this marriage represent the will of the Chinese Federation?' That was what Xingke proclaimed just before he and his troops took the wedding chapel, in which he himself fought off several of Schneizel's Royal Guardsmen. Both Schneizel and I found him awe-inspiring to witness, even though his interference nearly cost Britannia's claim to the land."

"'Nearly' being the key word." Halsey summarized himself. "Knowing Prince Schneizel, the first thing he did after Xingke was chased out was alter the records to show that the wedding proceeded as scheduled, and then had his collaborators produce an imposter to take Tianzi's place at the altar."

"Exactly." Lelouch confirmed. "Thus, among everything I have said to you, Tianzi's reinstallation will not only free China, but also expose the truth behind Britannia's subterfuge. In other words, we will be doing damage to them in nearly all areas."

He again paused to allow the assembled to consider that last line, alongside everything else. Then, he spoke again, his smirk reforming. "And so..." he tapped his remote, causing all the displayed images to disappear and be replaced by another map of the former Federation, this one holding several red arrows and dots lined out. "...I present to you Operation Akai Yoake, the battle plan that will liberate a third of the world in one fell swoop."

* * *

**Imperial Palace  
Pendragon, Holy Britannian Empire  
June 20, 2025 a.t.b.  
**  
The silence was overwhelming, as impossible as that sounded. The dusk only seemed to amplify its effect, as if the setting sun not only removed light from the world, but sound as well. It was in this setting that Emperor Charles zi Britannia, the most powerful man in the world, remained in his office, alone and undisturbed. He had been so for what seemed like hours now, yet could not find it within himself to retire to more stimulating dwellings. The reason for this was obvious enough; the Emperor deep in consideration, and his current domain served as the perfect haven for him and his thoughts.

It was moments like these that Charles well and truly felt the weight of time on his shoulders, through a combination of his age and his years of being Emperor. He was now seventy years old, in which twenty-seven of those years were spent sitting upon the Britannian throne; all throughout he had struggled to survive and maintain control, following the same Social Darwinist ideals that the Empire had built itself around since its beginning. Yes, he presented the grand image of an invincible monarch to his followers, but this was only for show; in reality he had labored, and at times lost, as much as the rest of them, and every so often it would all come rushing back to him and cause him to pause. Such was the current time, in turn amplified by outside events like the war in Europe and his "wayward" son once again rebelling against him and the rest of the Empire as he did eight years ago.

Charles sighed at the thought of all of it. Yes, it had been a long road for him, far longer than he would have imagined. This in itself was amazing to him, especially as he had been born and raised during the Emblem of Blood era, perhaps the one time in Britannia's history in which the aforementioned Social Darwinist ideals grew out of control. That time had been the closest he came to death, namely when his parents, Prince Malcolm zi Britannia and Princess Diana, were massacred only eight years into his life. He himself wasn't expected to survive much longer, and if it weren't for the support and guidance of his Master, he doubted he would have lived past his father and mother himself. Compared to that, the following decades were much easier to contend with, though once more it had still been a long journey.

And yet he was still a long way from the end of it. Ragnarok was still incomplete and several of the Code Bearers, whose Codes were required to enact it, remained unaccounted for. As long as that remained, he still had an agenda and a reason to remain upon the throne: so that he could allow his Master and the rest of the Order to work in the background toward its completion. All for the salvation of man, and the coming of a peaceful and just world to replace this long corrupted one.

With that line of thought, his mind flashed toward his rebellious son once more, who, as Charles gazed out the nearby windows, was somewhere over that distant horizon and likely planning his next step toward changing the world. The irony was not lost on Charles; for all of his hate toward his father, his family and his country, Lelouch was fighting for the exact same thing, and had placed value upon the exact same things as Charles had, just with a different way of accomplishing it. This in itself was part of Charles' plan as well, and Lelouch, again ironically, was performing that part valiantly, even if he did so unknowingly. Charles himself did not know how far Ragnarok would be able to advance if it weren't for Zero and his Black Knights rising from the dead and presenting a new challenge to Britannia, thereby extending the war and retaining mankind's focus upon it. And the Emperor was just as thankful that he wouldn't have to find out now.

In that same thought however, Charles had to admit that it was truly regrettable Lelouch had become his enemy. Of all of his hundred or so children, there was no other that he could relate to so much in mind and spirit; even Schneizel was not as close to him on those levels. There were times where the Emperor even considered what could have been if he had not exiled Lelouch and Nunnally to Japan; could Lelouch, and by extension Nunnally as well, have truly grown into one of Britannia's most favored and gifted royals? Could he have been brought into the fold as a knowing contributor to Ragnarok and worldwide salvation? Would he still be Charles' pawn in all this, or could he have advanced into a bishop or a rook, following his father's will out of choice instead of being manipulated? All reasonable questions to consider, yet Charles had no way of gaining any answers for them. After all, they were all tied to event that occurred fifteen years ago, one that was brought forth from Marianne's untimely "death".

That made Charles pause as his mind turned from Lelouch to a less desirable subject: V.V. Ever since Pearl Harbor, the immortal had all but completely disappeared, leaving the Order's administration to the Masters' Council and only relaying direct orders to the three branch leaders. He had not even made contact with Charles since that time, and Charles knew why that was all too well. The Grand Master had officially lost his patience with Lelouch, and not even Charles' reassurances would stay his wrath now.

The Emperor had mixed feelings about this, but then he always had those when regarding his Master. On one hand, it had been V.V. who had taken him, an orphan unfit to survive in the cruel world, and raised him up into a man of power and authority, as well as given him a purpose that transcended mediocre affairs between nations and ideologies. On the other, it had been V.V. who had betrayed him in the worst possible way, stripping him of the one light and happiness he had in his whole existence and forcing him into the darkness completely. And here he was again, circumventing his apprentice's wishes for his own ambitions, even if he claimed to hold legitimate reasons for doing so. Charles was very much beginning to hate him for it, perhaps even more so than he had after his first betrayal.

_Just like brothers. Two petty, squabbling brothers._ That had been Marianne's assessment of the relationship shared between Charles and V.V., right before she had "died". Now that Charles recounted those words, he had to admit there were some similarities there, perhaps even more than he wished there to be. Yet Even so, when it truly came down to it, the connection between master and apprentice couldn't be any more different than what had been described, summarized by Charles' response to Marianne's inquiry. _He is anything_ but_ my brother_.

He shook his head at the memory and stood up from his chair, moving closer to the window. When the time came, he would deal with V.V., just as he would also deal with Lelouch. For now though, he could only wait for either of them to move, and had no more reason to consider them any longer for the time being.

As such, he instead concentrated on what he saw before him. Below the cityscape of Pendragon sprawled out across the Sonoran, dwarfed only be the surrounding mountains that made up the Valley of the Sun; paradise in a wasteland. Undeniable proof of Britannia's accomplishments and superiority over all other nations, all brought upon by the efforts of Charles' ancestors over a span of millennia. To simply stand over those towers of light and their inhabitance, to simply gaze upon them and know that they were your subjects, was the singular dream shared by every Britannian citizen who aspired the throne, as well as the very incentive for many to fight and struggle. And yet to Charles, who stood and looked there now, there was nothing else so empty and meaningless, as well as devoid of light and hope.

Again there was irony, and Charles did well not to let it pass unnoticed. His entire life had been dedicated toward gaining the throne, such that it had been a defining part of his existence; it was only now, when he had achieved that dream and held onto it for over two decades, that he realized how worthless it, alongside the country that it was meant to rule, truly was. Only the throne's instrumentality to Ragnarok, his sole purpose at this point, kept him from giving it up; had it not been for that, he would have gladly given it up to Schneizel and embraced a life of retirement from then out.

And yet in spite of that meaninglessness, he could not deny Britannia's advancements and progression into the greatest nation conceived by man, nor could he deny his integral role in all of it alongside the many Emperors and Empresses that came before him. He need only look out at the night lights of Pendragon to see it, yet there was so much more beyond this city in the desert; entire crafts that spanned across the whole Western Hemisphere and beyond spoke of the Empire's grandeur before all others, such that no man could deny them. The legacy of the greatest of rulers, etched into the Earth and the memories of their fellow man for eternity. Or at least, that's what it seemed like to the lessers.

That in itself brought another line to Charles' memory, one that he had read from an anonymous poem long ago. "My name is Ozymandias, king of kings." he spoke to no one but himself. "Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair."

Like before, the irony was not lost to him. Not when that same poem had claimed those words as inscribed on a remnant of another empire; a nation that had been touted as eternal by the blessing of the Gods, yet had still fallen to time and chaos. Charles had little belief that his empire would fare better, especially in the face of the coming twilight...

* * *

**Black Knights High Command  
Naha, Independent State of Okinawa  
****June 20, 2025 a.t.b.  
**  
The meeting was long over now, with the chairs at the U-shaped table empty and all the senior staff having gone their separate ways. Only Lelouch, still Zero in all manner and appearance, remained, standing in the exact same spot he had given the briefing from and looking back up at the giant video screen, which still displayed the plans for Operation Akai Yoake. He would have left with the others, but had decided to take a few more minutes for himself, to pass the time if nothing else.

As he continued to look over the map's various lines and markings, Lelouch couldn't help but feel truly pleased yet at the same time weary. This was the first large scale operation he had devised; even the battle plans he had employed in Africa were much less elaborate than this one. And with the size of the operation, the complexity and risk factor also increased; in other words, it wasn't just the fact one mistake could ruin the entire plan, but that one mistake was now also likelier to occur too. That in itself wasn't helped with the success of the operation depending not only on the collective skills of his Black Knights and the ineptness of the Britannians, but also a third force that he had no prior experience with. And then there was always the present risk of Suzaku and the _Lancelot _showing up from out of nowhere and ruining everything, just as he had done throughout the Japanese Insurrection, from Shinjuku to the Black Rebellion itself.

As such, Lelouch could feel certain nervousness well up in his gut at all the things that could go wrong (even though he had contingencies as he always did), yet all the same was proud of his work. If all of the past events, from his liberation to Pearl Harbor, could be considered the first act of his newest production, then China would undoubtedly be the second act. And if it was successful, he knew his audience would fall even deeper into his influence, for better or worse.

Fortunately, he wasn't so concentrated on the map that he didn't hear the doors open once again, admitting a newcomer into the room. Still, he didn't turn around, instead allowing his mask's sensors to identify the individual, who in turn began speaking after a few more moments. "_Akai Yoake_, is it?" the man spoke with mild amusement. "Interesting name for a military operation regarding China."

"I liked the irony in it." Lelouch replied as Tohdoh came up next to him to gaze at the map himself. "So what do you think? Do we have a shot, or am I putting us in another Narita?"

Tohdoh considered that for a moment. "I do not see the comparison. Narita would have been won had it not been for the _Lancelot_'s appearance."

"When it appeared, everything fell apart." Lelouch replied with bitter remembrance. "That whole operation turned into a disaster because of one unforeseen element. That is not something I want to happen here, where we have far more to lose."

The General only shrugged. "Your caution is understandable, but what you describe is always a present risk." he smirked. "No battle plan ever survives contact with the enemy after all."

That caused Lelouch to slightly turn and regard his Field Commander curiously. "I did not know you studied von Moltke."

"Helmuth von Moltke, Carl von Clausewitz, George Washington, Andrew Jackson, Robert E. Lee and many others along their line." Tohdoh confirmed, smirking as he knew what Lelouch was thinking. "Unlike some of my former countrymen, I did not believe the fundamentals of war ended with Sun Tzu."

Lelouch found himself nodding at that, not really finding it all that surprising that the man responsible for the Miracle of Itsukushima had studied such famous historical generals. In fact, Itsukushima itself fit neatly with von Clausewitz's _On War _now that he thought about it.

Meanwhile Tohdoh continued. "And to answer your question, I believe we have a chance here, so long as we gain the CLA as allies." he then looked knowingly. "But considering your power, that's more or less a guarantee."

Lelouch pursed his lips at the mention of his power; even after all this time, he was still unused to others outside of C.C. knowing of it. That in itself caused another question came to Lelouch's mind, which he voiced after several more moments. "There's something else I've been meaning to ask you for some time now." he stated with some hesitance. "When C.C. revealed the truth with you and the others, you were among those who supported my return."

Tohdoh gave a small pause himself before answering. "I was."

"May I ask why?" Lelouch continued. "Especially when she obviously told you about Yokosuka?"

The General did well to remember that one, as evidenced when he minutely closed his eyes and sighed. That battle had entailed the final destruction of the Japan Liberation Front and its leader, General Katase Tatewaki, all thanks to the slap mine Lelouch had secretly attached to the JLF tanker beforehand. Granted, the alternative would have been them being killed or captured by the attacking Britannians, but that did little to excuse Lelouch's actions, as it still came down to him using the JLF fighters as bait for his own advance. Needless to say, he did well to force that knowledge back, lest his leftover emotions over the event gain the better of him.

"I can't say I was pleased to learn of your... tactics during that battle." Tohdoh replied, letting it all drain away. "Yet at the same time I've learned accept them, and even forgive you, in light of everything else that has happened."

"But that's what I don't understand." Lelouch said, confusion beginning to enter his voice. "I expected Diethard, and maybe even Ohgi, to come to my defense, but not you." that's when he turned to look at Tohdoh directly. "I thought you of all people would condemn me, for who I am and what I have done."

Much to Lelouch's surprise, Tohdoh's response was a soft, barely audible chuckle, as if Lelouch had uncharacteristically missed a singular point. "I knew your true identity well before Miss C.C. told us everything."

That caused Lelouch to raise an eyebrow. "When?"

Tohdoh again allowed himself to smirk. "I had my suspicions as far back as Narita, but was only able to confirm them during my prison break." his smirk deepened. "Simply by hearing your voice over the radio."

Now Lelouch was even more thrown. "At what point?"

The General's knowing smirk again deepened. "When you called our retreat, in light of seeing Suzaku in the _Lancelot_'s cockpit."

Upon that answer, Lelouch's confusion quickly drained away and was replaced by a frown. Like Tohdoh's remembrance of Yokosuka, his memories of that battle were not his favorite. Up to that point, he had not known nor ever suspected Suzaku was the pilot of Britannia's premiere weapon, as well as being his main adversary throughout the Insurrection. As such, the sight of Suzaku inside the _Lancelot_'s cockpit had overwhelmed him, to the point that he had been unwilling to continue the battle and, only after he had composed himself from his shock, called an immediate retreat. The other Black Knights had believed he had done so in light of mounting Britannian reinforcements, but Tohdoh had apparently been sharper than the others.

"You seem to forget, Your Highness..." Tohdoh continued. "That we met long before the war and following insurrection, when you and your sister were 'guests' of Prime Minister Kururugi."

It took Lelouch a bit to remember that one; so much JSDF brass and higher up members of the Kururugi administration had visited that estate before the war that it was almost impossible to discern all of them. But soon he managed to recall Tohdoh's time there. "That's right, you were Suzaku's martial arts instructor at that time, and you were at that dinner party for the Kururugi cabinet." he replied, not being able to quite keep the sudden recognition out. "I have to say, I'm rather surprised you remembered us from that one occasion."

"Well, you did leave a lasting impression." Tohdoh remembered with seeming fondness. "The frail Britannian prince and the blind Britannian princess, left with nothing but their names and taken in by the leader of their homeland's enemies as hostages. To say you two were odd fixtures at that party, much more in that entire household, would be putting it lightly."

"But that was only one dinner party." Lelouch pointed out. "So once more, why...?"

Tohdoh allowed a few moments to pass before he answered, the question seemingly floating in the air throughout. And when he did answer, he closed his eyes. "At the time you and your sister first arrived in Japan, Suzaku had been my student for three years."

Lelouch listened quietly. "As a boy he was...hardened in body and soul. Both the early death of his mother and life as the Prime Minister's son had all but forced Suzaku out of childhood at the age of seven." Tohdoh looked over to the prince. "Not unlike what your own mother's death had done to you, I would imagine."

When Lelouch said nothing, Tohdoh went on. "Because of that hardness, he was dutiful and hardworking, never doing any of the things a child his age would have done, such as playing with toys or journeying outdoors. Instead he focused on things like chores, his studies or his lessons with me, relaxing only when he slept or meditated. And when he did have contact with other children, he was unable to form bonds with them; not even Kaguya could get close to him, despite her own efforts to do so."

Tohdoh sighed. "He was, for all intents and purposes, an adult within a child's body, too adjusted to the ways of the world than anyone his age should have been."

Lelouch took all of it in with a grim notion; he himself had a tough time getting close to Suzaku early on, though that wasn't helped by Suzaku forcing him to the ground and beating him for being a 'dirty Britannian' upon their first meeting. He also remembered how Suzaku's room was suspiciously barren of toys or even a TV, how he had little knowledge of the wilderness behind the Kururugi Shrine, and how he never so much as complained about his vegetables at dinner.

Then he looked up again when Tohdoh said. "It was only when you and Nunnally arrived that I noticed things began to change." he stated. "While Suzaku was still dutiful, he started to smile and laugh, and seemed to become more at ease with his life. He also became more outgoing with others, and no longer had issue talking at length with others." this time he smiled a little. "If I could summarize it, it was as if Suzaku remembered that he was still a child, and that he did not need to rush growing up."

He turned back to Lelouch, his mind looking past the black mask and seeing the child prince he once was. "I didn't understand it, but then came that dinner party. Seeing the three of you interact throughout the evening, I realized that you two had, for the first time in his life, given Suzaku the bond of friendship and returned to him his humanity." he explained somewhat sadly. "Two things that even I could not do."

He then turned back forward and looked thoughtful. "It is for that I follow you. Or more specifically..." he said, staring back up at the map. "I follow not Zero, but the Britannian boy who made friends with my wayward student."

Silence again reigned after that, as Lelouch could not find any way to respond to that, amidst his myriad of emotions. _All this time... _he thought, completely amazed at the explanation; that he and Tohdoh, who he originally regarded as only a subordinate and comrade-in-arms, held such a connection. One that predated their meeting in battle.

But then, Suzaku came back to mind, causing Lelouch to look down in regret. "You do realize the next time I see Suzaku..." he started, hesitance in his voice. "...I may have to kill him. And not just because he's fighting for the Britannians."

Knowing exactly what Lelouch meant, Tohdoh also looked regretful. "I know." he replied. "But at the same time, I do not believe him entirely lost. One of us just might be able to reach him."

The General then let out a small 'heh'. "After all, we are both men of 'miracles', are we not?"

Lelouch actually laughed at that himself, all the while finding certain reassurance. At least in that one aspect of the war, he was not alone.

* * *

"Somehow it figures you personally knew Sun Zhongshan." Kallen stated as she took a sip of her coffee, looking toward the immortal "witch" at the other end of the table in the lounge area. "I suppose he was one of your 'partners'?"

C.C. only shrugged, her own coffee in hand as well. "No actually he wasn't." she replied. "After that whole ordeal with John Brown, I stopped making contracts for a while."

Kallen inwardly groaned at that mentioning. "Really, are there _any_ famous historical figures that you _didn't _know?"

The immortal considered for a moment, as if she had to dig deep in memory to find one such individual. "I didn't know Prince Fredrick, though I did witness his assassination. The so-called 'shot heard around the world' in Sarajevo."

Kallen was in the middle of taking another sip when realization occurred to you. "That took place only three years after the Xinhai Revolution. How could you be in Bosnia at that time?"

"Simple. I only stayed in China up to Xinhai; as soon as the communists took power, I fled to Russia and then spent the next few years making my way through Europe." C.C. replied knowingly. "Even I knew communism was a bad idea. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to convince Sun of that notion, much less get him to accept democracy as an ideal form of government."

"Like you had with Napoleon you mean." Kallen surmised.

"Exactly." C.C. concurred. "To Sun, democracy was fanciful but naive. The kind of system that would only work in a 'perfect' world ruled by 'perfect' people, yet as we all know both this world and humanity are far from 'perfect'." she smiled sardonically. "And he needed only look to the EU, and how the capitalists had become the real controllers of the state governments of that period, as proof. Thus, only communism was left as the Chinese peoples' hope."

"Funny how that worked out." Kallen rolled her eyes, seeing how the _former _Chinese Federation had turned out all the way to its annexation. Not that Sun Zhongshan could have known way back then of course.

C.C. took a bite of her danish while considering. "Still, he wasn't too far off in his criticism. Late nineteenth century Europe was a mess, and part of it _was _due to the elites taking indirect control of things. It wasn't until after the first Great World War when it all started getting better." she was quick to notice Kallen's initial confusion. "I meant the Gregorian nineteenth century, not Britannian."

"Oh." Kallen nodded, still listening.

C.C. sighed a little. "Really, there are times I wish I kept my mouth shut and just let Napoleon be the 'Emperor of the French' as he originally wanted. Maybe Europe would have turned out for the better."

"More like it would have become another Britannia." Kallen replied cynically. "Or just divided up further."

The witch nodded. "Those would have been likely possibilities, yes."

Another thought occurred to Kallen. "Okay, let's say for a moment that, through some miracle Washington's Rebellion had succeeded; Benjamin Franklin not turning traitor, the French or Spanish joining the war effort, Washington not dying at Yorktown, take your pick." she said as she put down her coffee on the table, eyes looking more intense as she went on. "Do you think the United States of America, as you call it, could have done a better job with democracy than the EU? And if so, do you think Sun would have been more convinced from their example instead of Europe's, or Marx's?"

C.C. paused in thought at that inquiry, not giving an answer straight away. She had many times wondered what would have happened if the American Revolution had succeeded. Washington himself had told her the United States would eventually become the most powerful nation in the world, and by eclipsing Britannia lead the world to its destruction, but he had never elaborated on whether the ideals he and the other revolutionaries had conceived would live on as well.

_George... _she thought, remembering the young, handsome Virginian with whom she had formed a contract with long ago. She closed her eyes and forced the memories back before they became an issue. "I don't know." she replied. "I would like to think they would, but there's no way to tell. Same on whether Sun would have been more convinced or not."

Kallen nodded as she began to lift the coffee back to her lips. However, midway into the arc, the _Guren _pilot could only watch as her arm suddenly seemed to slow down, moving from normal speed to a snail's pace in the space of a moment. With that, the world around her also seemed to faze and grow fuzzy, such that even her own breathing seemed long and drawn out, as did when she inadvertently tipped her coffee cup and let droplets fall from the tip. What should have taken only a second for the droplets to fall felt like hours, as did the sight of their impacting the carpet and splattering...

"Kallen? Is there something wrong?" C.C. spoke up, causing her second "contractee" to suddenly blink. Kallen looking down at the spot on the ground was all C.C. needed to understand, as well as cause her face to adapt a more serious expression. "It happened again, didn't it?"

Kallen closed her eyes to hold back the emotions churning inside of her over the last event. "Yes, it did." she said, then looking back up. "I knew accepting Geass would have consequences, but..." she tried her best to stifle the fear from her voice, but failed. "I never thought it would be like this."

C.C. frowned herself. "They're becoming more frequent, which means your Geass' power has increased again." she stated. "I don't know how long you have before it turns Runaway, but it's even less time now..."

"You don't think I know that!?" Kallen inadvertently barked in response.

The immortal let that slide, considering the circumstances. "Have you told Lelouch yet?"

"Of course not!" Kallen nearly stammered. "The last thing he needs is another problem he can't solve!" she then looked away. "Especially when he hasn't accepted my having Geass in itself..."

C.C. had to hand her that one; she had eavesdropped on that little chat between Lelouch and Kallen and listened intently as it devolved into a shouting match, during which Lelouch called Kallen a fool over her choice to accept Geass at least three times while Kallen called him less endearing titles for his "not understanding anything". They then refused to speak to each other for some time afterward, and it had only been through C.C.'s subtle efforts that they made up.

She closed her eyes and resisted the urge to grit her teeth at the memory. _The things I do for my partners. _"Well, I can't disagree with that." she replied, opening her eyes again. "But for the time being, I recommend you don't use your Geass as much. That will at least slow it down."

"But not stop it." Kallen replied flatly.

The "witch" nodded. "Once Geass is acquired, nothing can stop its growth. Even if you didn't use it at all, it will still grow in power and eventually Runaway." she then got up from her side of the table and came over to Kallen, where she placed a hand on her shoulder. "You've done a great job not overusing it these last eight years. But even so, what you are experiencing now is Geass' very nature; it is as much a curse as it is a gift, and nothing is going to change that."

Kallen took a long drawn breath at that, inwardly thankful that it only lasted a moment instead of 'hours'. "I know it's a curse..." she looked up, her eyes more determined now. "But that was exactly why I wanted it for myself, remember?"

C.C. smiled approvingly in turn. "Yes."

* * *

**Xiaopei Fortress  
Duchy of Jiangsu, Area 22 (China), Holy Britannian Empire  
****June 20, 2025 a.t.b.  
**  
Through a combination of the confined metallic walls and the polished floor, Li Xingke's boots rapped loudly as he marched down the corridor of the deepest level of Xiaopei. Ahead of him was his destination: a fairly large metal door that seemed as unmovable and indestructible as the Great Wall itself, or at least as the Emperor Qin Shi Huang would have envisioned it. And though Xingke couldn't see them, he knew a large number weapons and sensors were hidden throughout the corridor, from machine guns concealed in the ceiling to anti-personnel mines within the floor and even flamethrower within the walls, all run by a centralized surveillance system that was totally separate from Xiaopei's computer network. Had that surveillance system not identified him, he knew he wouldn't have made it two steps past the elevator, just as he knew that such security was absolutely necessary. After all, what laid beyond that door was likely China's final hope, even more than he and the rest of the CLA were considered.

Coming up to the door at last, he stopped for a moment, looked up at the metal portal and sighed; he wasn't looking forward to this in the least. Even so, he quickly tapped the intercom panel on the side of the door. "Yes?" the voice on the other end started.

"It's me, Your Excellency." Xingke replied. With that established, the intercom quickly switched off and the door just as quickly slid open. Xingke again sighed at the opening; he _really_ wasn't looking forward to this in the least. Even so, he proceeded into the domain, the door quickly closing behind him.

Compared to the otherwise sparse corridor, or much more the rest of Xiaopei, the area that the CLA general had just stepped into might as well had been on a different plane of existence. Cream colored walls with reddish tint, carpeting, ornate furniture and the highest end electronics available within the former Chinese Federation were all obvious features of the sanctum, or at least the part Xingke had entered in; as far as he knew, the sanctum split into several different rooms, including a bedroom, a kitchen, a personal library and a shelter. All of it meant to be comfortable and relaxing for any and all occupants, just like a room in the Vermillion Palace. Xingke, being a lifelong military man himself, chafed at that same comfort, but that was okay, as the sanctum was not meant for him. And the one who lived here, at least when she was not attending business in the upper levels of Xiaopei, was not a soldier herself.

Naturally, Xingke did his best to ignore the comforts, as well as the opposing discomfort in his stomach, as that very same individual entered the room. He did well to notice the amused but welcoming grin on her face.

"Well, this is rare." the woman spoke up again as she entered the light, her pigeon blood red eyes holding certain warmth toward Xingke's entry, though this was countered by more realistic expectation. "It's not like you to come here unless summoned. That can only mean two things: either we've won the war and it's safe for me to come out of hiding, or something has gone so horribly wrong that you felt the need to report it directly."

Xingke resisted the urge to sigh, as doing so would be in bad form, even if the one before him would have let it pass. "I'm afraid it is the latter this time."

Having fully expected that response, former Chairwoman Jiang Lihua, better known worldwide as Tianzi, also resisted the urge to sigh. "When is it not?" she replied as she mentally readied herself for the bad news.

Before he answered, Xingke allowed himself a moment to restudy the one before him. It was hard for him to believe that the originally powerless but kind and considerate albino child he had spent much of his life protecting and guiding had grown into a truly beautiful woman, one who held a slender but not unhealthy figure, long white hair with two bangs (which were each kept by a gold and red band) framing the sides of her head, and an unmarred, unbroken face that seemed to speak of innocence and purity in a time of chaos, but at the same time held certain strength. As usual, she was wearing her trademark purple and green dress, which emphasized her regality even more, though Xingke had long established that her clothing choices mattered little to her spirit.

The latter point made him regret what he was about to tell her even more. "The Britannians have just launched ghetto purges in Shandong, Henan and Shanxi."

For a moment, Tianzi looked as though she had just taken a hit with a sledgehammer. Then, after that moment passed, she closed her eyes to push back the heightened emotions. "Is there anything we can do to stop them?"

"I've already ordered our forces in those regions to move in." Xingke stated, trying to sound reassuring.

"Will that be enough?" Tianzi almost demanded.

Now it was Xingke's turn to close his eyes. "I cannot say Your Excellency." he spoke evenly. "It will depend on how much has committed to that operation. All that we know is that the purges were ordered by Zhao Hao and the others."

Certain disdain seemed to eminate from Tianzi's eyes toward that name. _"Yao Guai."_ she murmured. "They won't stop until there's nothing left."

"I know." Xingke nodded in agreement. He then offered another option. "If you wish it, I can take Tianshou and head out to one of the provinces myself."

Tianzi looked back at him peculiarly. "Is that wise, General?"

"Not very. In fact, I believe the purges were instituted for the very purpose of drawing me out." Xingke replied. "Even so, if you give the order, I will go."

That was enough to make Tianzi shake her head. "As much as I want to give that order, I can't." she replied with some resolution. "I will not risk losing you Xingke."

"With respect, Your Excellency, you risk losing me every time I go into battle." Xingke pointed out.

"Perhaps, but that doesn't mean I should throw you away either." Tianzi replied. "I can't do this without you Xingke; you know this as well as I do." she gave off a narrowed gaze. "The day the Chinese Tiger perishes is the same day our people will completely lose hope."

Xingke's brows furrowed. "_Again_ with respect Your Excellency, I believe _you _are more our people's hope than I." he stated with certain humiliating. "I am only a soldier."

Displeasure flickered within Tianzi's features. "You are more than that, General, even if you believe otherwise." she stated firmly. "As far as the whole of _Zhongguo _is concerned, it is Li Xingke, not Tianzi, who is fighting this war against the Imperials. As far as they and the rest of the world believe, I was flitted away to the Britannian homeland long ago."

Xingke nodded in acknowledgement. "Even so, this war will end someday. And when it does, our people will no longer need a General, but a Chairwoman to lead the nation back into prosperity."

"Maybe." Tianzi replied dryly. "But for the time being, the war is still on, and so you remain China's last hope." Having stated that, she then turned and moved over to the side, her back nearly turned to the general. Xingke was half-tempted to approach her, but he remained where he stood as the former Chairwoman spoke again. "Seven years, Xingke. We've been fighting the Britannians for seven years; two years longer than the EU, and the Black Knights have only just started. Yet we're still no closer to winning than the day we declared it, while our people are no closer to liberation."

The general clenched his teeth before answering. "I know Your Excellency. All too well do I know." he stated with sympathy. He then looked at her questioningly. "Do you regret it?"

"Regret what?"

"My taking you from Luoyang and starting this war in the first place." he surmised.

At that, Tianzi turned around, frowning at the very idea. "Of course not." she stated directly. "If you had not chosen to fight, our nation would be doomed as an Area forever." she then looked down again. "And by taking me from Luoyang..." she paused to formulate her words, a smile starting to return to her. "You fulfilled your promise; you brought me to the outside world."

Again Xingke held back his emotions, retaining his monotone. "I only brought you to Xiaopei, Your Excellency. There is much more to the outside world than this fortress."

"I know. But all the same you fulfilled your promise to me." Tianzi stated, her smile taking a sad tone as she again looked away. "I suppose that presents even greater incentive for us to win this war." she murmured. "So that you can take me beyond this fortress, no, beyond China, and show me the world I have only dreamed of."

The general was wise not to respond to that, especially with the terrible truth that he had kept secret for so long. Instead, he watched as Tianzi's smile faded away, and she again adopted a serious tone. "The question remains though: can we defeat the Britannians at all?" her eyes again shown with hesitance. "Do we even stand a chance?"

Xingke crossed his arms. "We still have adequate forces to carry out our fight. So long as we have those forces, we _still_ stand a chance. And so long as we stand a chance, we _can_ defeat the Britannians." he stated in turn. "_Will _we defeat the Britannians however? That I cannot answer, Your Excellency."

Tianzi nodded, holding an expression that showed Xingke had answered acceptably. Deep down however, she only felt all the more uncertain...

* * *

TO BE CONTINUED...

**Author's Notes: **Apologies for the long delay, as real life is a bitch. No relatives died this time (thankfully), but it's been a difficult couple of months. I'll just say it's all due to the times we live in and leave it at that.

Anyway, I'm probably going to get critiqued for what I've done with China (I already had one asshole launch on me over minor details, even calling me choice names along the way), so I'll explain and make everyone at least relatively happy. In my opinion, the _Code Geass_ writers originally intended China to be based on the modern day People's Republic of China, but decided at the last minute to base it on the Imperial model. Evidence to this theory includes Charles' speech at Clovis' funeral, in which (depending on the translation), he either claimed them as communists outright or stated they practiced "equal distribution of wealth". Second, the _Gun Ru_ seems to evoke the Chinese military stereotype of having crappy, outdated tech, but making up for it in large numbers, all the while their higher end equipment (in this case the _Shen Hu_) are really foreign creations that were shipped over. And even when R2 showed that the Federation was (somehow) an Imperial Monarchy, it still seemed to borrow communistic themes, such as the desolated land and resources, lowered birthrates and continued abuse to its acquired territories (namely India, which I find akin to Tibet under the PRC).

Whether or not this was the creators' original intent, I (obviously) like the idea of _Code Geass_' China being communist instead of imperial. For one thing, it balances out the "Big Three" on the political spectrum, with Britannia being far right (Absolute Monarchy), China being far left (Communist State) and the EU being somewhere in the middle (Liberal Democratic Republic). Second, I felt the canon Chinese Federation was too alike to Britannia, and overall not very unique within the setting. Third, it fits the militaristic tone of _Megiddo _a lot better, which as more than one person has rightly labeled as Darker and Edgier, and what in this world can be darker than communism? All of that said, I made one more alteration.

And yes, I know the real Sun Zhongsan was not a communist, and actually wanted to establish the Republic of China as a democratic state. My excuse is that whereas ORL Sun _was _actually influenced by the United States, such that his Three Principles of the People were based on the beliefs of Abraham Lincoln, the CG Sun didn't have the US to influence him (as Kallen and C.C. noted) and thus would have logically gravitated toward communism instead. Overall, I mean no insult to Sun's legacy by this transition; in fact, I actually hold him with a great deal of admiration, if only because of his ideas. The problem was they ended up being perverted by the people around him (though Sun himself believed that his people were not ready for democracy, causing him to clamp down on them for a time), just like with every other visionary and idealist out there.

On another note, one of the hardest things I had to deal with this chapter was coming up with what a grown up Tianzi would look like, and truthfully I still don't think I did a good enough job describing her in this chapter. The best I can tell you is that I envisioned her as a combination of Irisviel von Eizbern from _Fate/Zero_ and Lacus Clyne from _Mobile Suit Gundam SEED_, if that makes sense to anyone. I have to say I've become rather fond of the turnout, if only because she is not the useless jailbait Empress this time around.

And finally, I thought I would drop some more info on the Black Knights' structure, if only for kicks. Because the Black Knights aren't a "standard" military force, they're organized a little differently than their superpower counterparts. Instead of being divided in service branches (Army, Navy, Air Force, etc.), the BKs are made up into individual corps, each of which correspond to their operational base (Knightmare Corps, Medical Corps, etc.). Each corps has its own command and organization structure (with the Shinobi Corps being the most obvious here), but they each answer up to the High Command (which as Lelouch noted is the Black Knights' version of the Prussian General Staff) and the High Command in turn answers to Zero. It's kind of like _Star Trek_, now that I think about it.

Naturally, each corps has its own insignia, which is worn as a silver pendant on the left side of the Black Knights uniform (where the A-LAWS insignia would have been in _Gundam 00_) to identify where its wearer belongs to. They are as follows:

**High Command** - Sun w/ silver Aiguillette on right side  
**Intelligence Corps** - Snake Eye  
**Knightmare Corps** - Tomoe  
**Logistics Corps** - Magatama  
**Marine Corps** - Shinsengumi Emblem  
**Medical Corps** - Yin-Yang  
**Science Corps** - Lotus  
**Security Corps** - Manji (yes I know what that is)  
**Shinobi Corps** - Hira-Shuriken  
**Warship Corps**- Anchor

All that said and done, I hope you enjoyed this chapter (for what it was worth) and are looking forward to the coming China arc. Until next time.

**Author's Notes 2:** Again, I apologize for any bad French written in this chapter. I remind you all that I am not a linguist, so if anyone has better translations for Descartes' quips, I'll be happy to hear them.


	19. Chapter 19: The Chinese Liberation Army

_"The superior man is distressed by the limitations of his ability; he is not distressed by the fact that men do not recognize the ability that he has."_  
- Confucius

**Chapter 19: The Chinese Liberation Army**

**Area 22 Government Bureau  
Luoyang Settlement, Area 22 (China), Holy Britannian Empire  
June 28, 2025 a.t.b.**

Lieutenant General Reginald Calares, 10th Duke of Argentine and Viceroy of Area 22, was a man who hated his job. Yes, to some, being the military governor of an Area was nothing short of a dream come true; you got a miniature kingdom to play monarch around, unlimited access to its resources and treasures and the title "Viceroy" carried a lot of clout within the Imperial Court. Beside these, you also got other perks such as your own personal staff, the ability to choose your own work hours, countless numbers of subjects to boss around and, if you were of the overly sadistic variety, you sometimes even got a Number rebellion to suppress at your leisure. Thus, by all accounts and purposes, Calares was essentially living the dream, an opinion that was undoubtedly shared by much of the military command and the nobility around the Empire.

Clearly, those same individuals had never been in his position, much less been to Area 22. For all intents and purposes, he was the governor of a wasteland; thanks to the previous government, whatever beauty and treasure China had once held had been stripped away long ago, leaving only dust and rubble in its wake. In fact, over sixty percent of the Area was barren desert, while the remainder was slowly being destroyed by erosion. Alongside this, the Twenty-Twos were very much a primitive race who offered little in the way of technology or cultural advancement, and aside from some strange ruins that had been discovered underneath Luoyang, the geography had little to sway interest from the Homeland itself. And then there was the ongoing draught that, coupled with the bad soil, ensured that very little in agriculture could be practiced, thereby barring the Area as a farming colony.

In short, Area 22, as much strategic value as it held, was a pitiful little hill no right-minded individual would want to be king of. And yet the Crown, in its great wisdom, had chosen to send _him _here, to act as its would-be administrator. Fate was vindictive like that.

At the moment he was reading a report regarding suspected CLA attacks on Imperial garrisons in Shandong, Henan and Shanxi, which were obvious reprisals for the recent purges in those regions. This was the _second _reason he hated his job: instead of having to deal with a 'minor' Numbers rebellion, he was given the so-called Chinese Liberation Army, the remnants of the former Federation's military, to contend with. For seven years the CLA had waged a continuous guerrilla war against Britannia, giving Calares one headache after another while evading his own attempts to contain them. He likely spent more time trying to hunt down CLA cells than he did doing anything else in his Area, yet he was no closer to eliminating them than he had been upon his arrival here.

"If only we had caught Xingke at the beginning..." he absently muttered in distaste, continuing to read the report. Of course, he didn't blame Prince Schneizel for that; after all, when Xingke and his minions had been chased out of Luoyang, he had offered his services in commanding the pursuit force, only to be rejected by a certain group. Obviously, it was that group Calares blamed for blundering Xingke's capture, both in their rejecting proper aid and their falling into the Tiger's trap at Shentu. Had that screw up not occurred, Xingke and Tianzi would have both been in captivity and Calares could have casually hunted down and destroyed the rebel Twenty-Twos at his leisure. In that sense, Fate was not only vindictive, but sadistic as well.

As if to emphasize that last point, his secretary, a bookish looking Captain with thick glasses entered the office. "Excuse me sir, but the _gentlemen _are here and waiting for you." the Captain reported.

Calares sighed at him, both due to knowing who those "gentlemen" were and due to the Captain himself. He couldn't even have a _female _secretary. That was just mean. "Very well, I'll be there in a minute."

The Captain saluted and took his leave. From that, Calares took a few more moments to compose himself before standing up and, upon straightening his uniform, strolled out of the office and begun making his way down the hall.

Soon enough, after passing through a set of doors and winding corridors, Calares entered his destination, a large recreation room with an abundance of furniture and other such devices. It was here that the _third _reason why he hated his job, which was subsequently the biggest of the three, could be found: the eight former members of the Chinese State Council, the same men who bartered their country to Britannia for wealth and peerage. They all came in various shapes and sizes, but were easily identifiable by their dark red Zhongshan suits, the same clothes that they wore when they were Federal officials instead of Britannians. They were also all quite repulsive to look at, which as Calares found, belied their true characters.

"It's about time you got here Calares!" whined the high-pitched voice of Zhao Hao, 1st Duke of Henan, beady eyes ablaze with a mixture of anger and panic. "We have much to talk about!"

"The CLA has attacked our territories again!" shouted the shrill voice of Cheng Zhong, 1st Duke of Guizhou, who like the previous speaker looked like he was about to blow a gasket and wet himself at the same time. "And once again your military forces are worthless in repelling them!"

"This is the third time they've attacked in this month alone!" the bespectacled Xia Wang, 1st Duke of Shaanxi shouted alongside the first two. "Just how long are you going to let this continue!?"

Calares could only rub his eyes as the high pitched rants continued on, especially when four others joined in; only Gao Hai, the 1st Duke of Hunan, remained silent through all of it, but that in itself disturbed the Viceroy. Yes, _this _was the main reason he hated his job, no doubt about it.

In all his life, Calares had never encountered such petty, self-serving and overall useless human beings as he had the eight _de facto _administrators of Area 22. Everything about these men disgusted him in ways he never would have imagined, from their extreme hedonistic tendencies to their rampant misuse of their newly gained wealth and titles to the fact they were all blatant hypocrites, yet completely unashamed of it. Hell, even the fact they so willingly betrayed their own people, as well as their former nation's ideology, irked the general to no end; it was one thing for Britannians to be oppressive, as their entire Empire was based around Britannian supremacy in the face of non-Britannians, but it was another for a country's leadership to oppress their own so viciously and then betray them, along with their supposed principles, at the given opportunity. Calares could only wonder how Prince Schneizel himself felt when he offered an alliance with these miscreants.

Toward that end, the Viceroy remembered how the Chinese populace, before they became Twenty-Twos, had dubbed these eight and the rest of the State Council as the "High Eunuchs" after they elected Tianzi to the Chairmanship, essentially comparing them to the traditional attendants, and manipulators, of an underage Emperor. That type of mockery had earned severe clamp downs upon the regular population, namely in the form of mass arrests by the Dai Li, the former Chinese Federation's secret police, but the title still endured to the present day. And indeed, looking at these men, Calares would have suspected they all lacked that certain part of the male anatomy; unfortunately though, the Viceroy was very much aware that wasn't the case, again referring back to the extreme hedonistic tendencies they all practiced. This was especially true in the case of Zhao Hao, who had a _particular _fondness for children; that alone made Calares and several others in his command want to turn the former Premier into a literal Eunuch.

And here they were now, rambling at him like a group of frightened, sociopathic children, trying to get him to do something about the bogeyman known as Li Xingke. Oh how he wished he were somewhere else; even Area 18 was starting to look good to him, despite the latest string of Zulfiqar attacks.

"Gentlemen." he began with the most soothing voice possible, doing well to keep his disdain out of it. Or at least he thought so. "I understand your displeasure from the...recent events. That being said, yelling at me over and over again will _not _give me greater insight into defeating the CLA."

"Then what will Calares!?" Zhao Hao retorted. "At this rate Area 22 will never be rid of Xingke and his terrorists! We'll be old men and still be dealing with the Tiger!"

_And whose fault is that again? _Calares thought, but didn't say aloud. "Rest assured I am doing everything in my power to hunt down these criminals. If you wish to help me, then I suggest you not to take any more ill-advised, independent actions...such as your latest round of purges."

"What are you talking about!? Those purges were the perfect strategy to draw out the CLA!" Cheng Zhong hollered.

"The CLA yes...but not Xingke, who would never fall for such an obvious trap." Calares countered, eyes narrowing. "You massacred five million Twenty-Twos, who weren't even rebelling at the time, for nothing. And worse, you used my men to do it, which invited reprisal upon them."

"Oh don't make such a fuss over it Calares." Cai Lishi, 1st Duke of Guangdong, spoke up with a wave of the hand. "Five million dead amounts to _nothing _in this land. And as for your troops, if they didn't think they would be attacked, then they should never have become soldiers in the first place."

"And it's not like they couldn't defend themselves either." Tong Lun, 1st Duke of Fujian, added as well.

The blatant disregard of his men only served to infuriate Calares further, but he did well to keep his anger in check. "I find it rather amusing that you complain to me about a CLA attack, then dismiss it the next moment when I bring up others who were affected. Far more than you were at that."

"A few nameless Numbers and soldiers do not matter." Zhao Hao summarized with nods from the others. "We, however, are the selected leaders of this land and are therefore entirely nonexpendable. Whether it take one of your men or even a thousand, your entire objective should be our protection as well as our properties!"

Zhao Hao then added. "And you should go about it as if you were protecting the Emperor himself!"

Surprisingly, to both the Eunuchs and to Calares himself, the Viceroy actually laughed in the face of that declaration. "You bastards _really _think you're of the same worth as His Majesty?" he said amidst his laughter. With that last remark, he saw no more reason to hold back. "How easily you all forget your place in this arrangement."

The eight quickly adopted expressions of shock, but Calares didn't care. "Do you truly believe you eight really matter at all to Britannia? That you are among its most valued sons?" he let out a laugh for effect. "Please, to us you're no different from the other Twenty-Twos out here. The only reason we took you on was because it was the easiest way to obtain this land; if my superiors wanted to, they could just as easily have you all killed or imprisoned, and then bring officials in from the Homeland to take the positions you currently hold. And they would do it with the exact same attitude you're displaying now: complete indifference."

Not it was Zhao Hao's turn to look angry in the face of Calares' stance. "You better watch your tone Calares." he retorted. "Even Prince Schneizel never spoke to us in that manner."

Again Calares laughed. "His Highness is a man bound by honor. When he makes an arrangement, he keeps to his word, even when the other party does not deserve it."

Calares returned a smirk. "Why else would he allow you eight to live past your usage, much less take positions of power? Especially when others, including myself, would have simply killed you?"

Obviously attempting to let out a fierce rebuttal, Zhao Hao raised his right hand in fury, displaying the black leather glove that covered it. Calares quickly took notice of the hand and, instead of stepping back in intimidation, only returned an even greater smirk. This in turn caused Zhao Hao to freeze in his words as he remembered why Calares was smirking, much to his great embarrassment.

There was a reason why that hand, alongside the left, was covered by a glove: it was a prosthetic. The story went that at one point in time, Zhao Hao attempted to force himself on an extremely young Tianzi, but before he could get too far with his sickening act, Xingke burst into the room and, after declaring Zhao Hao would never touch her again, cut off the Premier's arms with a single swing of his sword. Since then, the rapist had been forced to wear Chinese manufactured prosthetics, which were essentially primitive metal skeleton appendages that lacked any outer shell, thus necessitating gloves to cover the hand portions.

Needless to say, Calares would have paid good money to go back in time and witness that event, and Zhao Hao would have been an even bigger idiot not to realize it. Thus, he lowered his arm and coughed into his newly folded fist. "Regardless, it is still in your best interest to protect us, as we are still Britannian nobles like yourself. Just as it is also in your best interest to end the CLA's reign of terror, or risk losing this land to them."

Calares had to take a breath before working up the urge to reply. "_Unfortunately_, that is all true. For the time being your lives are...nonexpendable." he then adopted a leer. "Which brings me back to my original point: your complaints, no matter how warranted, will not aid me in fighting these rebel scum. That said, I suggest you return to your homes and preoccupy yourselves with your...hobbies for the time being. I will summon you if I need you."

The General then spared the eight one last glance. _Though I would sooner invite Xingke over for afternoon tea._ "Now, good day gentlemen...or should I say _song bie_."

He then turned around to walk away, only for Zhao Hao to speak again. "Just keep in mind _your_ place in this arrangement Calares." the former Premier stated. "You were placed here under the belief that you were _capable _of defending this Area and its subjects from their enemies. So long as you keep failing to live up to that image, well..."

Zhao Hao then flashed a similar smirk to the one Calares had given him. "There's no telling how His Majesty will 'reward' your failure."

"Is that a threat, Zhao Hao?" Calares asked without turning around.

"It's a reminder, that you have as much to lose as the rest of us. _Song bie_." Zhao Hao finished, then turning away himself and moving toward the exit, the other seven following him.

Calares made one last sneer at the eight as they departed before he himself started walking back to his office. In hindsight, the meeting actually went better than he expected, and he took great delight in bruising their egos throughout it. However, this was coupled with the fact Zhao Hao had a point; he needed to show some progress with the CLA and soon, otherwise there was no telling what the Homeland would have in store for him. And as bad as Area 22 was, Calares had no wish to be sent to an even worse place.

_But then,_ is _there really any place worse than this hellhole? _he thought, just as he saw someone running down the hall toward him.

As it turned out, it was his young _male _secretary. Who was clutching a datapad underneath his arm. "Excuse me my lord, but you'll want to see this..."

Sighing, Calares reached out and took the datapad, scanning over its contents quickly. When he finished however, his eyes had noticeably widened, worry now quite clear upon his face. "When?" he demanded.

"ETA three hours." the secretary replied while catching his breath.

Calares suddenly felt very cold, alongside a growing urge to drink. "Then we don't have much time. Start making the necessary preparations."

* * *

**Black Knights air battleship **_**Ikaruga**_**  
Duchy of Fujian, Area 22 (China), Holy Britannian Empire  
June 28, 2025 a.t.b.**

_Just another day in Paradise._ Ohgi thought as he gazed out the _Ikaruga_'s bridge to the vast landscape below, effectively summarizing the thoughts of the entire bridge crew in one go. It may not have been post-Devastation Japan, but it was still a depressing and hopeless sight; even Minami seemed dismayed by it, which said a lot as the airship captain was one of the most stoic individuals Ohgi had ever known.

Looking over that view more and more, the Black Knight General recalled a line made by some historian, whose name he could not remember, that went along the lines of "where they make a desert, they call peace." If that phrase held any truth, then China was obviously the most peaceful land in existence; looking out to the ground below, all Ohgi was able to behold was a brown, lifeless wasteland that stretched to the horizon. No forests, no grasslands, and certainly no bodies of water; just dirt and rock formations as far as the eye could see. And Fujian was supposed to be one of the more fertile portions of China.

"_This_ is what the CLA has been fighting Britannia over?" Viletta murmured as she entered the bridge, quickly taking up a spot next to where her husband was sitting. "Better yet, _this_ is what _we _are going to be fighting Britannia over?"

Ohgi took a side glance toward his wife and subordinate. "It's not exactly my idea of a vacation spot either, but if it's going to hurt Britannia, then I say we take it from them. At the very least they won't be holding two-thirds of the world anymore." he then flashed a knowing smirk. "And if we gain some valuable allies along the way, even better."

Needless to say, Viletta looked far from convinced. "Right, a rundown army comprised of conscripts, outdated tech and only one decently skilled commander." she summarized with the driest of sarcasm. "With them on our side, we'll be set to take the Homeland for sure."

The General couldn't help but chuckle at the sarcasm. "Okay, they're not exactly the German or French State Forces, but the Chinese are still a start. Remember, Zero's plan calls for a worldwide alliance with the Black Knights at the spearhead; by reforming the Chinese Federation, not only do we establish the first vestiges of that alliance, but we also show the world that we are not in over our heads pursuing that goal."

Viletta only sniffed. "That's funny, because I was think we were exactly the opposite."

Ohgi sighed. "So do I, but then I've felt that way as far back as Shinjuku." he shrugged at that memory. "After a while, you just come to accept Zero's plans working out regardless."

"Heh." Viletta let out dryly. As there was nothing more to discuss there, she decided to change the subject. "How's the cloak doing?"

To answer that question, Ohgi pulled up a diagnostic on his monitor. He nodded with satisfaction after reading it. "Seems to be working so far, considering we haven't run into any Britannian patrols." his expression then darkened. "I wish we had this when we infiltrated Britannia. Goddamn Shinobi."

Viletta bit her lip in order to keep herself from uttering her own line of curses, feeling the exact same way her husband did. For a bit of background explanation, the Gefjun Cloak was Rakshata Chawla's latest innovation in Gefjun technology; not only did it generate an electromagnetic field that neutralized enemy sensors and electronics, but that same field was now capable of actively bending light around itself, thereby rendering whatever lay underneath it invisible to the naked eye as well. Viletta herself didn't know how exactly it accomplished this; what she did know was the cloak was probably the greatest breakthrough in stealth technology there ever was, and would had definitely given the Black Knights an even greater edge against their enemies.

The issue that she and Ohgi had, however, was that the Gefjun Cloak _wasn't _a new invention; Rakshata had created the first working unit years ago. And yet it was only now that the Black Knights, or at least the "regular" forces, were able to utilize it; this was only due to the fact the Shinobi Corps had "finally" decided to share it with their brethren, in light of their newfound allegiance to Zero and the Black Knights proper. Before that, the Gefjun Cloak had been utilized exclusively by the Shinobi, which they accomplished by forcing Rakshata and her Science Corps into compliance as well as keeping its very existence a secret. In fact, it had only been a month ago when Ohgi and the rest of the High Command had first learned the truth, even though there had been scarce reports of Shinobi Corps airships and knightmares being capable of disappearing at will.

Needless to say, it had enraged Ohgi and the other Black Knight leaders beyond words when they learned all of it. Viletta cringed at the memory, as that that had been the first time she had seen her husband that visibly outraged. "Just be grateful that we have it now; without it, we wouldn't be able to fly straight into China like this, even with a Disturber."

Ohgi nodded, though the frustration was still there. "I know. I know. It's just..." he replied. "If it's not the enemy in front of us, it's our supposed 'brethren' behind us. As if the Britannians weren't bad enough."

Viletta chuckled lightly. "It's like that in every war, my love." she spoke softly, if only to get her husband to relax a little. "We could all share one common goal... hell, we could all fight for the same country, but that doesn't mean we can all get along." she replied, looking down in remembrance. "I found that out the hard way in Cambodia."

The General could only raise an eyebrow at that. "When were you in Cambodia?"

Viletta only matched his gaze with a wry smile. "Going by your photo album, about the same time you were sporting a nose ring and dying your hair blonde." she inwardly smirked at the look of dismay on her husband's face. "I learned three things from that experience. First, never eat _bok l'hong_ in a village that has no toilets. Second, when using a local phone to call in air support, _always _have a credit card on hand."

Ohgi was almost afraid to ask, but he did so anyway. "And third?"

"Third..." Viletta's eyes narrowed. "Never trust MI6, or any organization that has words like 'secret' or 'intelligence' in its name. _Ever._"

The higher ranked Black Knight could only remain silent at that, as well as see how that lesson could also fit with groups that had 'shinobi' in their names. Curious however, he couldn't keep himself from speaking again. "I don't suppose you'll tell me what you were doing there."

Suddenly, Viletta adopted a rather cold expression. "Only if you'll tell me what Chizuru Matsumoto meant when she wrote 'thanks for the good time', complete with heart outline, next to your high school graduation picture."

Ohgi swallowed. Hard. "On second thought, let's just enjoy the moment."

"Yes, let's."

* * *

"Man, those CLA bastards don't mess around, do they?" Tamaki eloquently observed as the television on the mess hall's sidewall continued to broadcast to the assembled occupants. At the moment, the channel was on IBC, which was reporting on the latest attack in Area 22, complete with various images of _Gun Rus_ and other Chinese armor firing their weapons on _Sutherlands_ and the like. The anchor, who soon flashed back in, reported it as a terrorist attack, but the Black Knights knew better; especially since the Intelligence Corps had picked up on the latest round of ghetto purges.

For their part, the other present Black Knights regarded the report with certain boredom, as made apparent by the expressions they all wore. At least everyone except Tamaki, who looked more drawn into the feed than the others around him. "'Terrorist attack'? Seriously, they can't come up with a better spin than that!? They use that one every goddamned time!"

"Well, how many 'spins' are there that make the good guys look bad and the bad guys look righteous?" Inoue piped up, leaning on her right palm. "I'm just surprised they're not showing the scenes of the purges. They had no problems showing those in the past, as long as they claimed the ghettos as terrorist hideouts and so forth."

"Probably has to do with all the uprisings as of late." Sugiyama added. He was sitting beside Inoue, as always.

"Yeah, don't want to cause more of them by showing the crackdowns." Asahina concluded as well, taking a sip of his cappuccino. "At least, not when the Brits are stretched so thin."

"Makes our work easier for us I guess. We need all the breaks we can get at this point." Urabe commented as he leaned back a little. He continued observing the images of the _Gun Rus_, especially whenever they were charging Britannian emplacements. "I'll say one thing about the CLA, they've got the bravest knightmare pilots I've ever seen. No way in hell you'll catch me in one of those deathtraps."

"Agreed, those _Gun Rus_ are hideous." Chiba spoke up at last, leaning over her knuckles to observe the Chinese knightmares more closely. "Look at that thing; its landspinners are fixed, which means it can't move sideways. It can _only _turn left or right!"

"Yeah, and its guns are also fixed, which means it has to turn its entire torso to fire left or right. Any rookie _Sutherland _pilot could outmaneuver that." Asahina replied matter of factly.

"And don't forget its bulk." Inoue pointed out. "That thing has a targeting profile larger than most tanks, but judging by these images, it has practically no armor."

"Exactly. It can't maneuver, it can't take a beating and it can only fire in one direction." Urabe summarized.

"And because it only has guns and no arms, it can't fight up close either." Sugiyama added.

"That too." Urabe laughed, continuing to watch the images play out with an unimpressed glance. "Makes you wonder how the CLA has lasted for so long, doesn't it?"

"You will do well not to underestimate the Chinese, Urabe." a new voice spoke up, causing everyone to turn and see Senba standing behind them. Having gained their attention, the elder Four Holy Sword member casually walked up and took a seat amongst the group. "For whatever shortcomings they may possess, they are still a civilization well versed in warfare."

Immediately those gathered remembered that of all the Black Knights, Senba was likely the only one who had fought in the Second Sino-Japanese War, and thus held a certain perspective of the force that they were hoping to ally with. As such, Urabe and the others decided to sit back and listen. "Well, why don't you give us your insight on these people, Senba."

"Certainly." Senba replied, relaxing a bit more before continuing. He suddenly felt like a grandpa telling stories to his grandchildren; not that he hadn't done so in the past. "During the War, the Chinese were largely the same as they are today: they held numbers, but were poorly equipped and hardly a threat in individual engagements. In conventional battle, they lost twenty of their soldiers for every one of ours, and perhaps fifty to a hundred for every one of our tanks. Their main forces were, essentially, peasants given uniforms and rifles and sent out to fight against a far more professional army."

The elderly Black Knight inwardly smirked as he saw the great amount of attention given to him. Not just by the group he was talking to, but by a number of nearby Black Knights as well. "But even so, for all their deficiencies, the Chinese are still a race well adapted to war. Their regular soldiers displayed this through their high discipline and their adherence to the chain of command, while their leaders made up for their army's technological shortcomings with tactical brilliance. For an example of the latter, their main offensive strategy during the war was a series of night time assaults that were coordinated not through radios, but through time tables, which were so meticulous and thought out that it inflicted heavy losses on our end for only a fraction of theirs."

Senba took a moment to catch his breath as memories of that war became far more frequent. The overwhelming stench of burnt flesh and motor oil, the feeling of his hands clutching his Arisaka rifle, the sound of Japanese tanks rumbling across the landscape, the battle cries, both Chinese and Japanese, chanting across the air. Events that had occurred entire lifetimes ago, yet he was recalling them as vividly as he had seen them firsthand. "We also found early on that they were willing to risk massive short term losses for long term gains, which we were only able to realize _after _they had achieved their objectives. This in itself was a strategy practiced in our country's Feudal Era, but was abandoned when Japan became unified and adopted Britannian and European standards for the Self-Defense Force."

"Yeah, but in the end we still won that war." Tamaki pointed out. "I mean, sure the Chicoms got to keep Korea and the rest, but we forced them to pay reparations for that territory."

Senba merely laughed and shook his head at that notion. "We did not lose the war, Tamaki, but we certainly did not win either." he said, becoming more serious. "Our objective in that war, as defined by the Prime Minister himself, was to 'liberate' all of China from the communists, which Japan had not recognized as a legitimate government even before the War of the Orient. Our General Staff believed the Chinese mainland would be fully occupied in two years; instead, the Chinese proved to be far more capable than we had expected and the war threatened to drag on longer than we had hoped. Thus, we settled for armistice."

The seriousness in his gaze deepened even further. "My friends, I've told you this story to share a lesson that I had to learn the hard way: _never underestimate the Chinese_." he spoke with the hardened voice only a true war veteran could hold. "To them, war is merely another tool of diplomacy, not something to be avoided like we see it; as such, they have no hesitation when it comes to fighting. Beware of such an enemy."

Asahina rubbed his chin thoughtfully at that. "But on the opposite end, that same quality would also make them a powerful ally." he smiled. "I think I'm starting to see the wisdom in Zero's plan." the others, even Chiba, all nodded in agreement.

Senba also nodded, before taking a sip of his own coffee. "We will see. Though I myself wonder if Zero knows who he wishes to deal with..."

* * *

"I'm seeing it..." Kallen muttered, her expression completely taken back. "...but I still can't believe it."

Lelouch could only roll his eyes as he lowered the hand weights, then wiping the sweat off his forehead. "Somehow, you're willing to accept that, after these last eight years, I can command a real army, pilot a knightmare at ace level and even lay waste to one of the most heavily defended fortresses in the world..." he stated, breathing heavily. "...but you can't accept that I can do three sets of bicep curls."

"I can't believe you can do any bicep curls at all." Kallen replied, still astonished and questioning whether she had been transported to some parallel reality. "I mean, I remember when you couldn't even lift a box of pillows, so you can understand why this is a shock to me."

Lelouch blemished at that particular memory; that had definitely been one of the more embarrassing moments in his lifetime. "Need I remind you that box held ten to twelve pillows, all of them large sized?"

Now it was Kallen's turn to roll her eyes. "Except those were _foam _pillows. Even Nina was able to lift hers without any problems."

The exiled prince only sighed and decided not to go any further, for the sake of what little dignity he had left. "Let's just keep going. Bench press next."

"Right." Kallen confirmed as Lelouch walked over to the aforementioned bench and sat down on the cushion, taking a few more minutes to regain his breath. The renegade was so concentrated on that, he didn't notice how drawn spotting partner's was over him.

As hard as it was for the _Guren_ pilot to believe, he had _really _changed over the last eight years; gone was the weak and helpless honor student and in was the warrior prince, and it showed, emphasized even by the black A-shirt and sweatpants he was wearing. He was still relatively thin in stature, but his arms and legs now had highly definable muscle, while his abs and chest had greatly broadened. Alongside this, he also seemed to have put on more weight over the years, yet at the same time he held virtually no excess fat or bulk, thereby emphasizing a body that possessed both strength and speed. In fact, as Kallen summarized, had he not been a soldier, he could very easily been confused for an athlete; not Olympic level obviously, but an adept one all the same.

Needless to say, Kallen could not keep the red from moving onto her cheeks as she continued to look at him.

"Uh, Kallen?" Lelouch asked, gesturing toward the weight bar. "Care to spot me? Or are you going to keep standing there?"

That was enough snap Kallen out of her trance, to which she immediately reassumed her usual demeanor. "Oh, right." she said, moving over to the weights and grabbing hold, just as Lelouch did.

Three sets of twelve reps later, Lelouch raised the weight bar and placed it on the stand, Kallen guiding him along as he did so, before getting up into a sitting position, once more breathing heavily. Following this, Kallen quickly sat down beside him and handed him a water bottle, which the "evil warlord" eagerly took and began drinking.

"So..." Kallen began, after Lelouch finished taking a drink. "What changed your mind toward exercising?"

Lelouch turned to face her. "What do you mean?"

"Well, obviously you started working out when you were in West Point." Kallen replied. "What I don't understand is _what _got you into it like this. Back in Ashford, you took every opportunity you could get to skip gym. Now..." she looked over him again. "It's like you've been lifting weights your whole life."

The exiled prince though about that for a moment. "It wasn't a _what_ that changed my mind, but a _who_." he spoke between breaths.

Kallen quickly realized the answer, recalling who had been Lelouch's personal instructor throughout that time. "The Knight of One?"

"Right." Lelouch replied while dumping some water over himself in an effort to cool off. "At first I didn't...take to that portion of the training, even though it was required of me in order to gain my rank and position." he remembered all of it. "I probably repeated every excuse I made at Ashford and more in the first few days alone."

He then looked at the floor. "And yet despite all of my attempts, Bismarck outsmarted me at every turn. If I tried running away, he'd quickly find where I had run to. If I attempted to prearrange an excuse, he would predict my plans beforehand and counter them." he laughed a little. "He was relentless, even more so than Schneizel. Of course, I suppose he has to be in order to protect my father."

"But eventually you did take to it." Kallen exclaimed. "Was it because you couldn't outsmart your instructor?"

"No, not at all." Lelouch said. "I kept it up for a good three months or so, but then one day, Bismarck pulled me aside and practically threw me into a weight room, locking the door behind him. He then proclaimed that I had only two ways of getting out of there: either I do a full day's worth of weight exercises, or I face _him _directly."

Kallen snickered, imagining the giant sized Knight of One staring down a still feeble Lelouch, who had not but the weights and exercise equipment around him to use as his "terrain advantage". The thought Lelouch squirming under the Knight of One's gaze alone made her cover her mouth to keep from laughing.

Lelouch, while ignoring the display on Kallen's part, continued. "Since I obviously couldn't beat Bismarck directly, I tried to argue my way out of the room. We probably went on for a good hour or two, but then at some point he made the following ultimatum: exercising was not just a challenge in physical prowess, but also in _mental _as well. As such, he declared that I was not only weak in strength, but weak in mind as well, and that before my graduation, he would completely change that, no matter what I tried to do."

The prince allowed himself to chuckle at the memory, finding irony in the fact that he was speaking of that time so lightly now. Back then he had believed it to be the darkest period of his life. "It was only at that point that I gave in, and began following my physical training. The result speaks for itself."

Kallen couldn't help but smile at the story. "You two must have been quite close."

Lelouch sighed at that. "He was the closest thing to a father I ever had." he then looked down again. "I will truly regret the day I will have to face him."

Kallen said nothing, only taking the water bottle when Lelouch handed back to her, then spraying some of it on her head. She herself had already done several exercises up to this point and, in spite of the fact she was wearing a red spandex tanktop that left her midriff uncovered alongside matching short shorts, was in constant need of cooling off. That and the act also caused Lelouch to try and sneak a glance at her body every now and then, which she found inwardly amusing. _Even the great and almighty Zero has hormones. Who knew?_

When he tried this time, she purposely spoke up to cause him to snap back. "You think we'll see any Knights of the Round out here?"

Quickly pushing any urge to look _below _Kallen's face again, Lelouch answered. "That's always a possibility, but it's doubtful this time around. China has already been annexed, and the CLA have never been seen as a serious threat, so there's really no need to send a Round to this Area. Especially when there's more to worry about in Europe lately."

Kallen frowned at that mention. "Speaking of the EU, I wonder how they're going to react to us after this one; China is right along their eastern border after all."

"They'll probably see us as a credible threat." Lelouch answered. "In fact, they likely do already, since I badmouthed their President and the Council of Forty right after laying siege to Pearl. China's liberation would just reaffirm their stance."

That caused Kallen to consider of something else. "Would they send their own forces after us?"

Lelouch considered that as well. "That's another possibility, though I don't think they'll send anything worthwhile. The closest force they can deploy are the Russians, and they're too busy fighting my brother Horatio to worry about us." then he recalled a certain report. "That and there's been growing tension between Nuremberg and Moscow as of late, thanks to Goebbels focusing most of the EU's supply train on western Europe and leaving little else for Russia and Africa."

"That might be something to use in the future, when we move onto Russia; surely _they _would welcome us, since their masters in Nuremberg can't do anything for them." Kallen replied, before realizing she spoke out of turn. "That is your plan, right? Liberate China and then move onto Russia. Or were you going to go into the Middle East?"

The prince visibly cringed at that suggestion. "No, Russia will be our next target after China." he replied, eyes narrowing. "For the life of me I don't know what to do with the Middle East."

Kallen didn't believe that. "Surely you have a plan for that."

"Several, but I don't see any of them lasting. At least nothing short of Geassing that whole region into compliance." Lelouch answered again. "I can easily have the Black Knights aid Zulfiqar and the rest in ousting the Britannians, resurrect the Middle Eastern Federation and so on. But what about after?"

He gritted his teeth at the idea. "How can I dispel a form of racial and religious hatred that has literally lasted well over a thousand years? How can I keep two sects of an already violent faith from slaughtering each other after the last Britannians are expelled?" he the dread in his eyes then became deeper. "And that's not even the worst possibility."

"Then what is?" Kallen looked both disturbed and curious.

Lelouch sighed at the thought. "I may end up doing the exact opposite and _unite_ them, from which they would inevitably turn on the 'Infidels' of Europe later on." this time, he looked at her dead on. "The last time an event like that happened, the response was the first Crusade. _Consider that for a moment_."

Silence reigned for the following moments, until the nearby intercom began beeping. "Bridge to Zero." came Ohgi's voice.

Blinking as the tension drained away, Lelouch got up and approached it, hitting it once. "This is Zero."

"We are now entering Jiangsu." Ohgi replied, talking directly in spite of the news he was about to deliver. "ETA thirty minutes to Xiaopei."

The Black Knights leader nodded to himself. "Very well. I'll be down there soon. Zero out." he then hung up.

Kallen let out a breath of air at that. "Well, whatever we've got ahead, first things first." she said, before getting up herself. "I suggest we quit for the day and get cleaned up. Wouldn't want to disappoint the Chairwoman."

"Agreed." Lelouch concluded, before moving toward the changing rooms. Kallen was not far behind.

* * *

The atmosphere throughout the ship had changed since the _Ikaruga_ had entered into Jiangsu, and had grown even more intense as the ship at long last entered Xiaopei. Between the Britannians that occupied the Area and the Chinese resistance fighters that hid in it, the Black Knights had no idea who would shoot at them first upon detection. The fact that they _needed _to be detected at some point, so that they could open a dialogue with the former, certainly didn't help the tension. Even so, they went about their tasks just as well, though with certain nervousness being abundant.

And then, as if on cue, Lelouch, once again having reassumed the guise of Zero, quickly emerged from the elevator with Kallen and C.C., the latter having been unavailable beforehand, in tow. "Zero on the bridge!" Major Kodai called out as the masked man entered.

"Status report." Zero said as he took to his usual seat, Kallen moving to stand on his right side while C.C., Cheese-kun once more in hand, stood back.

"We have just entered Xiaopei's airspace." Ohgi replied, just as the main monitor flickered to display tactical images of the surrounding area. Even on a digital display, Xiaopei was as desolate looking as a field of purple as it was as lifeless brown desert. "No sign of the CLA so far, though it's a pretty good bet that they're out there."

"And the Britannians?" Zero inquired, resting the "chin" of his mask over his hands.

"Sparse contacts, but they're too far out to do anything about us. We're well outside their radar coverage as well." Minami concluded.

_Just as I predicted. _Lelouch thought with a smile. He had figured Calares didn't have enough forces to cover all of China's landscape; it was after all the largest Area outside those in the Britannian homeland. Because of this, there was an abundance of unmonitored space within Area 22, which provided nooks and crannies that the CLA operated from. Lelouch just hoped the one he picked was the one Tianzi would be in. "Good, then it is time we announce our arrival." Lelouch said. "Disengage the cloak."

Minami resisted the urge to gulp at that order. "As you command, Zero." he replied, before relaying the command to the appropriate crewman. Moments later, the _Ikaruga _flickered into existence, her jet black hull easily standing out among the blue sky and the brown landscape below. If the CLA hadn't detected them before, they most certainly would now, to say nothing of any Britannians that were paying attention in spite of Zero's predictions.

Now fully exposed, tension amongst the bridge crew only broadened, but Lelouch himself wasn't too worried. The _Ikaruga _was already at Level 2 Battlestations, having transitioned to that state of alert the moment they had entered China, and Lelouch had personally instructed that two of the battleship's knightmare squadrons be placed on standby in case any shooting started. For all accounts and purposes, they were adequately prepared for the worst turn of events.

But of course, Lelouch did well to remember that he had made similar back up plans in the past, only to see them fail the moment the _Lancelot_, almost always an unforeseen element, entered the field. Not that he believed the white knightmare would appear this time around, though he didn't rule out the possibility. "Anything?" he asked after several minute passed.

"Nothing." Ichijiku replied.

"Communications?" Ohgi spoke up as well.

"All channels are clear." Mutsuki reported.

"Strange..." Viletta murmured.

"Hmph. I've never known the Chinese to be so unresponsive." Rakshata, who was laying on her usual couch, spoke up with seeming disappointment, though with a fairly large tinge of hostility underneath. "At Jallianwala Bagh in '14, the CLA didn't wait to see if the pilgrims were armed before they started shooting. Now a battleship appears in their own airspace, and they don't even send a warning?"

Lelouch was already going through the possibilities. _An ambush perhaps? No, starting a fight here would expose them. But at the same time they can't just ignore us, since our continued presence would _also_ draw attention from the Britannians._ his eyes narrowed. _Just what could they be doing?_

A proximity alert soon beeped from the sensors. "Signal directly ahead!" Ichijiku called out. "IFF is _not _Britannian!"

The Black Prince grit his teeth. _Here we go. _"Type?"

Ichijiku soon verified. "It looks like a knightm...!"

Suddenly, a pillar of golden light erupted from the _Ikaruga_'s port side, obscuring that entire side to the bridge's view. The shot barely missed striking the battleship, but still caused it to rumble and nearly list to starboard, while the bridge crew all covered their eyes from the glare, cries ringing out as they did so. Lelouch himself reflexively reached up with his right hand and covered the front of his mask, even though the optics quickly adjusted to the glare. _What is that...!?_

Then an instant later, the pillar dissipated. "Report!" Ohgi bellowed as soon as he got back up alongside Viletta.

Everyone quickly got back on their stations. "Minimal damage to outer hull!" somebody called out in response.

"Was that a hadron cannon!?" Minami followed up with confusion.

Ichijiku quickly analyzed the data. "Beam composition is a seventy-four percent match. Whatever it is, it's different from a hadron cannon, but not by much." another beep alerted her. "Enemy is closing in!"

Immediately Minami sprang to action. "Lock on and return fi...!"

"Belay that! That was just a warning shot." Lelouch called out instantly, standing up from his chair. Soon enough, the knightmare, upon reaching a certain distance directly in front of the _Ikaruga_, stopped in midair. In fact, it was close enough that it could actually be seen from the bridge, albeit as a dot in the distance.

"Magnify!" Minami ordered. A moment later, an image window appeared on the _Ikaruga_'s main monitor; upon seeing it, the bridge crew was instantly taken back. Centered on the screen was indeed a single knightmare, but not one any of the Black Knights were expecting.

Holding a height of just over four and a half meters, the knightmare was easily identifiable by its slender, blue tinted armor with red highlights, alongside additional silver armor plates coming off from its shoulders and lower torso. Its chest held a curious grey colored port at its center, which soon retracted behind a neon green colored orb; this was likely the source of the cannon blast just a few seconds ago. Meanwhile, its feet were each topped with gold colored fins of some kind, and its hand manipulators held similar claw-like finger tips as an _Akatsuki_. However, even those details took backseat to the machine's head; while otherwise humanoid, the faceplate was a golden mask with white and red markings, as well as a red fin coming off from the top of it. And finally completing the machine was a familiar pair of double wings stretching out from the back of the cockpit pod, much to the bridge crew's confusion.

_What is that...?_ Lelouch thought, eyes widened at the newcomer. _...and why is it equipped with the same flight system we use?_

"That's...!" Rakshata stammered, pipe falling out of her mouth from the shock.

A second later, a communications window appeared on the monitor, sound only. **"Unknown airship, this is General Li Xingke of the Chinese Liberation Army. Identify yourself or be destroyed."**

At that, Lelouch nodded toward Mutsuki, who quickly established a channel. "This is the Black Knight flagship _Ikaruga_." Lelouch replied. "I am Zero."

Following that reply, a new vidwindow replaced the initial sound only type, displaying the image of a black haired man in a black and purple pilot suit, sitting within an unfamiliar knightmare cockpit. "So, the great Demon King graces us with his presence." the general spoke, eyes gazing straight at the orb on Zero's mask. "State your intentions."

Lelouch did well to note the hostility within the tone. "General Li, as supreme commander of the Black Knights, I assure you that we hold no quarrel with you or your people. Our intention is to open up a dialogue between our two factions, as fellow enemies of Britannia."

The Chinese general responded by raising an eyebrow. "Really?" he replied, not looking the least convinced. "And why should I permit such a dialogue, especially after this attempt at intimidation?"

Lelouch was quick to respond to that one. "No intimidation was meant; we only wanted you to take notice of our presence here. And to respond."

"That still doesn't answer my question _liu mang_." Xingke replied stoutly. "Why should I permit this dialogue at all?"

Lelouch was aware enough to receive the subtle message, and judging by the discomforting glances from Ohgi, Minami, Viletta and Kallen, so were they. _This is going to be harder than I thought. _"Because it is in both of our best interests that we talk, General." he continued. "I am sure you have seen my message from two months ago; I have declared war on Britannia and proclaimed my intention to liberate the Areas from its grasp."

He quickly waved an arm outward. "This land that you've fought over for seven years is one such Area; sold out by traitors and given to tyrants for a price well below its value." he smirked as he saw Xingke's face twitch, showing that his message was having an effect. "You wish to see it free, so that your people may experience true liberty, perhaps for the first time in hundreds of years. I wish to see it free as well, so that Britannia may suffer."

He then finished by bringing his arm back in, gesturing his open hand toward Xingke. "Thus, we share a common goal, and with it the potential of an alliance."

Even still, Xingke was visibly still not bought. "An intriguing offer, but I see no reason to accept the aid of a nation-less army and a warlord."

Lelouch laughed. "And you think yourself and the CLA as any different?"

"Perhaps not _that _different, but that still doesn't mean I trust you." Xingke replied. "How do I know this isn't a ploy to gain China for yourself, after the Britannians have been driven away?"

"I'm not asking you to trust me, at least not at first." Lelouch shot back. "All I'm asking is that you hear my offer."

Xingke shook his head. "My apologies, but there will be no bargain." suddenly, the knightmare frame's chest opened up again, golden energy collecting at its center. "Leave now, or I will be forced to destroy you."

Lelouch quickly withdrew his hand. The next thing he said wasn't something he wanted to, but there was no other choice. "Forgive me General..." he said, eyes narrowing from behind the mask. _"...but I believe that is Her Excellency's decision to make."_

Surprise and ferocity quickly dawned behind the general's own eyes. "I see..." he muttered, his voice now possessing an edge. "In that case, I'm afraid I can't let you..." he started to say, before being interrupted by a light flashing from the side. Turning toward it, he sighed. "Excuse me." he said, before switching off the vidwindow.

Seeing a break, the bridge crew stared to move again. "Zero...!" Ohgi started to say.

"Wait for it." Lelouch said simply.

Sure enough, Xingke's image reappeared after a minute or so. "We will hear you out." Xingke stated, barely containing his displeasure. A moment later, coordinates began to feed into the _Ikaruga_'s navcomputer. "Proceed to the following coordinates." the general finished, before signing off.

With that, the blue knightmare quickly resealed its main weapon, turned around and flew off into the distance. Lelouch smiled triumphantly as he watched it go. _That could have been worse. _"Proceed Minami."

The _Ikaruga_'s captain nodded and then followed up on the order. "Helm, continue on zero-one-five, ahead one-third."

* * *

**Xiaopei Fortress  
Duchy of Jiangsu, Area 22 (China), Holy Britannian Empire  
June 28, 2025 a.t.b.**

"Looks like we're about to have guests." Gu stated as he watched the _Ikaruga _from the vast array of display screens in Xiaopei's command center. Ever since the infamous Black Battleship had appeared on their doorstep, the command center was a hive of activity; what had originally been just like any other day had turned into a series of frantic calls, minute by minute reports and orders flying around left and right. For their part, Gu, Xianglin and a few other upper ranking staff, were "safely" kept away in the commanders' suite overlooking the area. Alongside their invaluable leader.

"I can't believe he knew of Your Excellency's presence." Xianglin murmured in obvious disbelief, her eyes never leaving the image of the Black Battleship. "In fact, I can't believe they found us at all! Even the Britannians haven't done so yet, and they've had a seven year head start!"

Much to everyone's surprise, Tianzi only chuckled lightly at the notion. "It just shows Zero is as cunning as we were led to believe General Zhou." she said, not looking put off in the slightest at the Black Knights' presence there. "Xingke is right to be cautious of him."

Gu turned and looked at the former Chairwoman curiously. "Not that I disagree with that notion Your Excellency, but if you believe so, then why did you order Xingke to stand down?"

"Because, General Hong..." Tianzi replied. "I had long determined Zero would attempt to reach out to us, following his declaration some months ago; it was only a question of when and how." she explained. "With that mindset, I had decided that when the time came, I would meet with him to see what he has to offer us, and more importantly, the Chinese people." she looked considerate for a moment. "Is he seeking to take China for himself, or is he legitimate in his proclaimed intentions? Either way, I will at least hear him out."

Another high ranking official spoke up at that. "If you've decided on this matter, Your Excellency, then why did you allow General Li to provoke the Black Knights at the start?" he inquired. "You could have easily had him rendezvous with them and lead them in since the beginning."

"I could have." Tianzi replied with a wave. "But in all honesty, I wanted to see how Zero would react when confronted by the General Li's aggression." she smirked. "To that I reiterate: he's as cunning as we were led to believe. The only question now is how will that cunning support us, if at all?"

With that, the former leader of the Chinese Federation got to her feet and signaled toward Xianglin. "Have the stateroom prepared at once, and post appropriate security around the fortress. I want our guests to be comfortable, but not free to roam."

"At once Your Excellency." Xianglin bowed and then turned to go about her orders.

However, Tianzi stopped her. "Oh, and one more thing Xianglin." she spoke up. "Have the Tianshou be present as well."

Xianglin looked perturbed at that notion. "Don't you think that's a bit much, Madam Chairwoman?"

"Not at all." Tianzi spoke, her eyes showing certain interest. "Recall how most meetings with Zero ended in the past; he's quite the deceptive _huli jing_." she readopted a knowing smile. "While I doubt he wishes to harm me in any way, it's still best to be cautious in this matter. Besides, Xingke would have them there anyway."

Xianglin pursed her lips, then nodded. "It will be done." she said, before exiting the suite.

With that, Tianzi looked at the others officials. "Now then gentlemen, I believe we have negotiations to conduct." she said, taking one last look at the _Ikaruga _before turning to face the door. "Those of you not attending, please continue monitoring."

"Yes, Your Excellency!" the officials sang out at once before saluting. Taking that in, Tianzi returned their salute with a nod, and then proceeded to walk out herself, several others following her out.

* * *

Her uniform prim and proper, black beret adorning her head and Hiryu at her side, Kallen continued along with Lelouch, Ohgi, Tohdoh and the other High Command officials as they followed their escorting guards toward the meeting place. Along the way, she couldn't help but take subtle glances around their surrounding; putting aside the desert above, Xiaopei reminded her a lot of the underground facilities in Okinawa, the ones that currently served the Black Knights and held their fleets within, though as she continued glancing around, she found that the Chinese base was not quite as well managed. Still, the large size and openness of the fortress alone was enough to impress her, especially when it had been created by the technology and resource strained Chinese Federation. In that regard, Kallen also couldn't help but wonder how many workers died creating this place, as well as to refit it in modern times.

Currently the Black Knight officials were being guided through a knightmare hangar, which housed several _Gun Rus_ in small pens, technicians and pilots working on the various machines around the clock. Kallen spared the machines and their crews a corner gaze; the last time she had seen those knightmares had been Kyushu, during Sawasaki's "liberation" attempt, and even then she had only seen them on a television screen aboard the _Ryujin_, as Lelouch had chosen to deploy alone in the _Gawain_ during that event. Seeing them up close now, Kallen saw just how hideous and powerless the knightmare type was; like a giant, metal frog with machine gun arms and cannons on its hips, it was a lumbering beast of burden that could in no way compete with traditional knightmare types. In fact, Kallen surmised that she could have taken several out with her old _Glasgow_, which had been created in the same generation as these. _So much for the 'great progress' of Marxism-Sunism._ she thought disparagingly. _It can't even produce a decent knightmare._

That thought reminded her of that blue knightmare Xingke had intercepted them with; the one that Rakshata seemed to react toward with familiarity. It had disappeared just before the _Ikaruga _had entered Xiaopei's underground, apparently landing in a different part of the fortress. As such, holding certain curiosity toward it and the rest of the basin, Kallen activated her Geass and expanded its reach until it encompassed the near entirety of the base.

What she saw her caused her eyes to widen by a fraction.

"Right this way." one of the escorts said, gesturing toward an elevator, leading the group into it, which in turn snapped Kallen out of her Geass. A short ride later, they were brought down another set of hallways before coming to another pair of metal doors, which one of the Chinese soldiers opened. "Her Excellency will be with all of you shortly."

"Very well." Lelouch replied, then looking toward Kallen. At that, the Major turned, nodded and entered first, followed by two of the escorting Black Knight Marines. After they verified it was safe to enter, Lelouch and company entered themselves.

The room within was small but ornate, far more than the rest of the base; red carpeting, cream colored walls, assorted pictures and book pages of Chinese literature adorning the walls, as well as a large Chinese Federation flag draped along one side and a large table with hand-crafted chairs at the center. Frowning from behind his mask at the overabundance, though knowing that the room had been created well before Tianzi's administration, Lelouch stood by while Kallen remained close to him; the others either stood themselves or automatically took to their chosen seats. Silence continued to remain amongst their company.

As the waiting began, Lelouch looked out across the room, waiting for that opposite door to open. He knew he had a long period ahead of him, and that a good portion of it would likely involve outcry and banter between the Black Knight officials and their CLA counterparts. As shown by Xingke earlier, Chinese were naturally suspicious of outsiders, a racial trait that had endured even before the Federation, and it helped even less that they had a long and complicated history with the Japanese; a history that included two wars, the last of which involved China firing the first shot and Japan following up by invoking heavy war reparations that nearly bankrupt the Federation. It wasn't likely the CLA staff nor the Japanese officials on the Black Knights' end would forget those past slights, even if it was in the interest of their common goals.

Lelouch inwardly groaned at the thought, wishing that he were able to negotiate with Tianzi privately; just two leaders of two distinct factions, laying groundwork and mending any potential infraction without interference. Unfortunately, he knew that wasn't how the game was played, and that while the Black Knights leadership trusted him and knew of his skills as a statesman, they still reserved the right to represent their exiled nation and their military force. Lelouch was sure it was the same on the CLA's end, even though Tianzi was, in spite of communism's infamous disdain toward religion, almost a patron saint to her followers. Thus, instead of a meeting between two leaders alone, it would be a meeting between either side's generals; as such, things only became more complicated.

_Best case scenario is that these negotiations conclude amiably._ Lelouch thought as he reviewed the current situation. _A formal alliance is established, and any leftover tension from past events are either forgotten or put aside for the greater cause._

Lelouch then frowned as he followed up with another thought. _Worst case scenario... Is a repeat of Lake Kawaguchi. Only this time in an underground fortress with the opposition outnumbering us several times over. _And with that in mind, the door on the opposite end of the room finally opened, causing everyone to look toward it.

The first to enter were a set of officers Lelouch found peculiar: triplets apparently, all holding similar heights and physique as well as hair coloring (black) and style (complete with queues), and all dressed in gold CLA uniforms (two holding Captain rank badges and one holding a Major's). The only differences, besides the fact one was a woman, were the individual glances the three gave him: the first male held a taciturn expression, while the second was more belligerent appearing, and the female held certain aggressiveness in her eyes. Behind him, Lelouch was quick to note how Kallen tightened her posture; already she was on guard toward those three.

Following the triplets were several other Chinese soldiers, who were dressed in body armor, much like their Black Knight Marine Corps counterparts on Lelouch's end. After them came Xingke, now having exchanged his pilot suit for the trademark purple uniform of a Chinese Senior General. The Chinese Tiger cast a dark glance at Lelouch as he entered, making it clear that the general still regarded Lelouch with hostility and, at so much as a hint of subterfuge, would deal with him as a threat. After him were additional officers of General rank, and though they all came in various shapes and sizes, they all wore standard dark red uniforms, indicating that they were all lower ranked than Xingke.

And then, last but not least, Tianzi herself entered, a clear smile across her face. "On behalf of the CLA and the Chinese people, we bid welcome to all of you, fellow enemies of Britannia." she started, quickly stepping forward. "And to you Zero. It is an honor to finally meet you."

"The honor is mine, Madam Chairwoman." Lelouch replied, taking her hand when she offered it.

Tianzi laughed a little. "It's been some time since an outsider referred to me that way." she said, smile remaining as she briefly remembered. "How nostalgic."

With that, Lelouch, Tianzi, Xingke and the others took their seats while their respective bodyguards remained further back around the entrances; only Kallen stayed forward. The negotiations had officially begun. "I trust you are aware of our intentions..." he glanced over to Xingke. "...as well as the efforts we have made for this meeting to take place?"

Tianzi nodded. "Yes to both." she replied. "I admit that even I was surprised that you knew of my present state; very few do anymore."

Her smile quickly returned. "That being said, I compliment your earlier tactic: by indirectly calling me out over an open channel, you forced me to both accept your offer of negotiation as well as prevent Xingke from shooting you down." her eyes flashed knowingly. "I would say that was very creative of you, but as you are Zero, such praise is beneath your standing."

Lelouch arched an eyebrow, while Kallen and a few others just barely concealed dumbfounded expressions. _She's more intelligent than I expected._ Lelouch thought. _Has she grown_ that_ much over the last seven years? Or was she always at this level and I just wasn't able to see it back then?_

Even so, Lelouch responded in kind. "On the contrary, I'm flattered by your praise." he said. "And even more so impressed. I did not expect Her Excellency to be so...attentive."

Again Tianzi came across knowingly. "I might have been no more than a figurehead under the _Guaoyuwan_, but I assure you Zero, one cannot stay Chairwoman of the Chinese Federation without _watching_ and _learning_." she then gave a peculiar expression. "Though I am curious. What would you have done had I not ordered Xingke to stand down?"

Lelouch smirked back. "In all fairness, I had not expected the General himself to respond to our presence, much less in a later generation knightmare frame." he explained. "However, in preparation for such a breakdown, I had two squadrons of knightmares on standby and ready to launch at a moment's notice."

Xingke's eyes narrowed disbelievingly. "I've fought far worse than that."

Lelouch looked toward Xingke. "I know that wouldn't have been enough to shoot you down General. However, it would have been enough to _hold _you, just until Major Kouzuki could launch." Lelouch didn't need to turn to see the smirk that flashed across Kallen's lips.

"Hmph." Xingke replied, before closing his eyes and looking away somewhat.

Tianzi stifled a laugh of her own. For all his strengths, it was not hard to get under Xingke's skin; something she herself enjoyed doing every so often. Still, it was about time they got down to business.

"I will be straight to the point Zero." Tianzi started off. "Like General Li, I too found your earlier message intriguing. However, considering the delicate position that the CLA is currently in, I also find myself with similar sentiments." she looked directly upon the purple orb. "Why should we accept your offer of alliance?"

Lelouch paused for a moment before responding. "I would think the reasons were obvious, Your Excellency."

"I would still like to hear your answer." Tianzi replied. "As would those beside me." Indeed, the Chinese officials all looked toward the masked man with simultaneous inquisition.

Lelouch smirked as he fulfilled that request. "As we are all well aware, the CLA has been fighting the Britannian occupation of China for seven years; two years longer than the European Union's war, and obviously much longer than ours." his eyes scanned across the faces of the Chinese officials. "Thanks to effective leadership on the part of General Li and those gathered here, as well as the ineptness of the Britannian command structure, you have kept up the fight against an otherwise superior force without any massive loss."

He then looked back at Tianzi. "At the same time however, you have not made any progress in accomplishing your objectives; seven years and not one province, not one city or village, has been liberated from Britannia's hold. Not even your assault on Beijing, which you made in the wake of _our _attack on Crusoe, had any lasting effect beyond harassing Calares and his ilk." Lelouch then leaned forward a bit before he added the ultimatum. "You are effectively fighting the same offensive as the Japan Liberation Front fought in Area 11. An offensive that, if left unaltered, will result in continuous bloodshed for no gain; China will remain in Britannia's hands, and your children and your grandchildren will be forced to carry on your fight when this generation has long passed."

With that added, Lelouch sat back. "That is why this alliance is in your best interest. By allowing us to fight beside you, the Black Knights will provide the edge you need to not just push back against Britannia, but completely remove them from the Motherland." he again smirked. "We will be giving you the means to end the war in just a few months time, at most."

That caused some of the Chinese officials to murmur to each other in Mandarin; Lelouch and the Generals on his end didn't need a translator to tell that they were interested. Even so, Tianzi remained stalwart. "Once more, an intriguing offer to be sure." she summarized, the look in her eyes holding interest as well. "Surely the same force that directly struck down Britannia twice over would greatly benefit our cause." Lelouch opened his mouth to reply, but Tianzi added on before he could. "At the same time however, your offer still seems a little too altruistic."

"And for good reason, Your Excellency." Xingke replied as he now entered in, again staring down the masked man. "For all of your explanation Zero, you left out one key detail: that the Black Knights would need this alliance more than the CLA would."

A few more murmurs were made before he continued. "Though you claim China's liberation works toward your benefit as well, there's really more reason than that. By aiding us in our time of need now, you will be securing our support in the future, which you need very much to continue your war; after all, your own objective is to take the fight to a nation that rules over sixty percent of the world. Even if Japan still existed, you would still need our support or the EU's, otherwise you would be fighting under the same conditions as we are now: continuous bloodshed for no gain."

Lelouch bit his lip, feeling a little annoyed, but not surprised, that Xingke was able to figure it out. "All correct General." he acknowledged. "Just as the Black Knights may serve as an edge for your crusade, a reborn Chinese Federation would serve as an edge for ours." he then added. "Or more specifically, take an active role in a war that encompasses all living beings, including yourselves."

Xingke closed his eyes for a moment. "I will not deny that the current world war affects China." he stated, then looking back at Lelouch. "The question however is just how much would we benefit from this alliance? Would we be equals, or are you looking to subjugate us just as the Britannians before you?"

"That's uncalled for." Ohgi staunchly replied. "It should be evident that we have no wish to repeat what the Britannians have done."

"Is it?" Gu spoke up as well. "Your former country has already invaded ours _twice _before. Why should we believe you won't attempt something similar in the future?"

"If we wanted to take over China, we certainly wouldn't have reached out to you first." Tohdoh replied. "Dominance over this land will gain us nothing."

"A rather ironic statement coming from the son of Saburo Tohdoh." one of the other Chinese officials scoffed.

"There are other ways to subject a nation than military force." Xianglin replied. "Marginalization of our reformed government and forced dependence on your administration, for example."

"All of which would fit perfectly well in Japanese vengeance for their loss in the Motherland Liberation War." another official spat out.

Tohdoh nearly choked at that title; leave it to the communists to come up with a shamelessly gaudy name for _that_ conflict. "That war was long ago, and even though I am the son of _Shinigami no Tohdoh_, neither I nor my compatriots hold any grudge against the Federation over it." he replied, before adopting a leer. "That in itself says much, as _your_ attempted invasion of Kyushu was _not _long ago."

"You mean our attempted _liberation _of Kyushu, and the rest of Japan." one more Chinese official replied testily. "We only sought to restore the rightful government, under a rightful Prime Minister."

"Don't play that _xiangqi _game with us." Ohgi stated with an edge in his voice. "We know Sawasaki was your puppet, and that you were intending to 'liberate' Japan in the same manner you had India, Tibet and Korea."

"If anything, we should be suspicious of _you_. After all..." another Black Knight general stated, then looking toward Gu. "'Why should we believe you won't attempt something similar in the future?'"

Gu fixed that Black Knight an intimidating glance. "Are you making fun of me _hun dan_?"

_"Zu Guo!" _Tianzi commanded, silencing Gu and the others before anything else could be said. "This is a pointless argument that we do not need to engage in. Both sides are only stalling."

"I agree." Lelouch replied metallically. "In that regard, I recommend that we remain with the matter at hand."

"Yes." Tianzi concluded as well, pushing back any feelings of contention. She knew these talks wouldn't be easy, and once more wished she could deliberate with Zero _without _her generals there (save Xingke of course); all they were doing was making things harder for her. Even so, they were there, and the talks needed to go forward. "Perhaps you should present your conditions first, Zero."

"Certainly." Lelouch replied, before continuing on.

* * *

**Black Knights air battleship **_**Ikaruga  
**_**Duchy of Jiangsu, Area 22 (China), Holy Britannian Empire  
June 28, 2025 a.t.b.**  
**  
**"Goddammit!" raged Jirobu as he pounded his fist on the lounge table. "This damn waiting is fucking annoying! Are the _shinachon _going to ally with us or not!?"

"I would prefer you _don't _use that word, Lieutenant." Alfred spoke threateningly over his light novel, causing Jirobu to realize his mistake and look away sore. Even so, the former Glaston Knight found himself sympathizing. "Crass language aside however, I can't help but feel the same way."

"For once, fugly, I agree. This waiting _is _fucking annoying." muttered Tayuya, as she felt a headache coming on. For once she wasn't in the mood to trade barbs with anyone, though she still threw a crack in for good measure. "I say we break in, put a gun to Tianzi's head and have her decide then and there. Wrong answer means she eats a bullet, and we work our way down the line until someone says yes."

"Oh yeah, that's _definitely _going to win them over for sure." Kidomaru laughed as he continued to play his Nintendo. "That is, assuming the Tiger doesn't gut you first. From what I hear, he once killed a whole Britannian platoon with a sword."

"So? Zero has the Major and General Tohdoh with him." Tayuya pointed out with a grin. "Not to mention a fair number of Marines."

"Right, against Xiaopei's whole garrison." Charmelle replied with less enthusiasm. "Starting a fight here is certainly not in our best interest."

"I don't know about that." Liliana spoke up from her chess game with Marika. "From what I've heard about the CLA's regular troops, I don't think they would be too much of a challenge." she then flashed a disturbing smirk. "It'd certainly be a slaughter on their end."

_Why do I get the feeling that turns you on? _Alfred thought disgustedly but didn't say aloud. "Even so, I would rather avoid a fight with the CLA, especially when we still have the Britannians to deal with."

"Which begs another question." Kidomaru again spoke up from his game. "How do we feel about working with them?"

The question hung in the air for several moments, as if it had just occurred to the members of Zero Squadron that they would have to fight alongside the Chinese soldiers. Sure, it was one thing for Zero to say that the Black Knights would ally with the CLA, but none of the pilots had actually considered the fact they would be combating the Britannians beside Chinese _Gun Rus_. Needless to say, a twinge of discomfort spread itself across the lounge, and none of the Zero Squadron pilots failed to notice it.

Sakon was the first to answer that question. "I for one wouldn't give a rat's ass about the reds; in fact, I'd rather pay them back for Kyushu."

"Same." Ukon confirmed. "The thought alone leaves a bad taste in my mouth."

"Ain't that the truth." Jirobu said as he ironically took another bite from the candy bar he had been eating. "Fighting the imps but sparing the commies? Tastes like shit."

Tayuya rolled her eyes. "As if you're one to talk about shit, _buta_."

"Fuck you Tayuya!" Jirobu called off automatically.

"At the very least we won't be fighting alone now." Charmelle said quickly, yet again preventing _that _fight from occurring. She felt her stare become distant. "And it's not like we're going to restore the original Federation."

"No, but we would be elevating Tianzi to a level of true authority. That's usually the making of a dictatorship." Alfred replied.

"And who's to say Xingke or one of the other CLA generals won't kill her and take over?" Liliana pointed out, once more sounding a bit more anticipating of such bloodshed.

Charmelle cast a rather disbelieving look. "Somehow I can't see the man who kept Tianzi from marrying Prince Odysseus turning around and murdering his charge." she muttered. "That would be like the Major shooting Zero in the back."

That caused a certain laugh to go around the room. "Yeah, like _that's _ever going to happen!" Kidomaru surmised. "But that still leaves the other officials to plot against Tianzi when we give her the keys to the kingdom."

"And more importantly there's no guarantee that the Chinese will help us fight Britannia _after _we give their country back." Ukon muttered in distaste. "Hell, they could just decide to kill us all right after."

"Wouldn't put it past them. Chinamen do make for a treacherous lot. Communists even more so." Sakon added himself.

"Yeah." Tayuya agreed. "We'd definitely be better off leaving the red bastards to their own fight." a dangerous look entered her eyes. "If not putting them out of their misery ourselves."

A collective sigh quickly emanated around the room as the Zero Squadron pilots realized that they all shared similar feelings; even Alfred and Charmelle weren't overly eager to place their trust within their potential "allies". Even so, Alfred quickly responded to that. "Well either way, all we can do is leave it up to Zero; this is all part of his plan, after all."

"_Amen_." Kidomaru exclaimed, earning nods from the other pilots. Then another thought occurred to him, and going by his facial expression, a disturbing one. "Though that leaves one last question." he said. "How do you think a certain member of our group, whose name I prefer not to say right now, is taking all this?"

Alfred could only cringe; he knew who his comrade was speaking of, as did the others. "If he knows what's good for him, he'll keep his mouth shut and obey orders like the rest of us." he stated. "Unfortunately, I'm not sure if his thought process extends that far."

"I just hope the little fucker doesn't try anything. Last thing we need is him causing an incident." Tayuya added on as well.

"He would at least try, wouldn't he?" Jirobu growled at the thought.

Charmelle leaned back for a moment, recalling the sight of Rikichi's _Guren_ charging at that ejected _Sutherland _cockpit pod at Pearl Harbor, his intentions toward the helpless pilot within completely clear. For his sake she had not told anyone else about that act, but the memory still caused her skin crawl whenever.

"Yes, he would." she muttered, before burying the memory once again.

* * *

The sneeze came out suddenly and randomly, causing Rikichi's entire demeanor to shift and smash his fingers against the wrong keys. The result was a mismatch of lower case letters and grammar devices across the computer screen, nearly obscuring what he had written up to that point.

_"Kisama."_ he growled as he hit the undo button, before taking a nearby tissue to wipe down the monitor. As if he wasn't annoyed enough already. The title of his still in-progress book was _Hitoritabi_, which roughly translated into "Solitary Journey". As one would gather from that, it was meant to be Rikichi Shirogane's life story of sorts; a chronicle of his childhood in Japan, before and after the Britannian conquest, followed by its transference after the Devastation and then into his service in the Black Knights. Besides the biography aspect, Rikichi had also mixed in his own political views and philosophies into the passages; from his belief in the eternal supremacy of the Japanese race to how the former nation's associations with _gaijins _were what ultimately led to its subjugation and final demise, it was all lined out for his future readers.

Naturally he also had several innovative "solutions" toward many of the issues written, especially around future dealings with _gaijins_. Unfortunately, he had yet to work those in, but he still planned to do so.

For the last six years he had been writing this book, both as a means of coping with the loss of his homeland and his family as well as to provide a record for future Japanese as to how their nation had originally been lost, but more importantly how it would begin anew. Of course, he was nowhere close to finishing it; only when Britannia was well and truly conquered and a pure, reborn Japan rose from its ashes, did he believe his story would reach its end. It would be some time before either would become a reality; in fact, he had a large enough task at hand with the Black Knights alone, as the organization had yet to be purified of its _gaijin _membership and their sympathizers. Nothing else would be possible until that occurred.

Fortunately, Rikichi knew exactly where to start: Zero. At the moment the majority of the Black Knights believed that they could not win the war without him; by removing him from power and destroying him outright, not only would Rikichi show the Japanese that they _could_ in fact win without the so-called Demon King, but that they had no need for the _gaijin_ scum he had also implemented into their midst, such as the Chinese _suraimu _he was seeking an alliance with now. The latter especially brought a certain hate from Rikichi's being, as if Zero hadn't insulted the memory of his ancestors, namely his grandfather who fought in the Second Sino-Japanese War, enough. Just how many injustices would the madman force the Japanese people to endure?

Only when the masked tyrant was cast out could things very much be set right. Rikichi especially looked forward to adding _that_ chapter to his book; he could even imagine how his future descendents would recall that part of their ancestral history with pride and gratitude. After all, how many Japanese lines included warriors who had cast out hated warlords? How many could claim that their ancestors followed in the footsteps of _Takehaya Susanoo-no-Mikoto_, as they had destroyed the _Yamata-no-Orochi _of that era?

Needless to say, Rikichi had not been idle for the past two months. Though Pearl Harbor had been a boon to the Black Knights' loyalty to Zero, the knightmare pilot knew that there were still antagonists within the ranks; Japanese like himself who saw Zero and his _gaijin_ followers as the indirect cause of the Devastation and all of Japan's ills prior, who shared his belief that any future Japan could only thrive if all _gaijins _were cast out or enslaved. At the moment they were too few in number to do anything beyond their orders, but that didn't matter. At this point, Rikichi only had to reach out to them and reassure them that they were not alone; that under his direction, their time would come. That was where being a member of the elite Zero Squadron really paid off, as Rikichi would not have gained nearly as many followers if he had been part of any "standard" knightmare unit.

At the current time he had the loyalties of servicemen in virtually every branch of the Black Knights, except for the High Command (unfortunately) and the Shinobi Corps (which was beyond approach). What they lacked in numbers, at least at the moment, they held in reach; when the time was right, Rikichi was well in a position to bring the current Black Knights to their knees. Once that was accomplished, it would be all too simple to replace the current leadership with himself and several of his loyal followers, from which they would go about destroying their enemies and rebuilding Japan from the ground up. The ace knightmare pilot couldn't help but smile at that thought, even as he continued typing.

If he had any hindrances now, however, it was how to go about the first part of his plan: how exactly could he destroy Zero? As much as Rikichi didn't want to admit it, the masked bastard was beyond his reach for the time being; he had the full support of the Black Knights and was adamantly protected by Major Kouzuki and that strange green haired woman that was constantly in their company. The former made Rikichi's blood boil especially; more than anything, he wished he could bring the Major to his cause, but knew that wasn't to be. For the time being, she was Zero's slave, and until Rikichi could save her from her blind loyalty, she would stand by his side against any threat, including her fellow Black Knights if need be. As opposed to his earlier smile, Rikichi grit his teeth at the thought, even as he continued typing.

As such, what Rikichi needed now, more than anything else in the world, was an opening. Any sort of tactical advantage that he could hold over Zero, whether to get around his defenses or, even better, rally more of the Black Knights to himself. Unfortunately Rikichi had no idea where to go on that either, as he, like every other human being in existence it seemed, knew nothing of Zero beyond the mask and his tactical brilliance, which even he couldn't deny. He was essentially trying to bring down a ghost, an entity whose existence was hollow and beyond the reach of mortals, yet held clear evil; at least evil clear enough for Rikichi to see, even if the rest of his comrades could not or would not. In that regard, Rikichi, for once, agreed with the Britannians on something; Zero truly was the Demon King.

Thus for the time being, Rikichi had nothing and Zero's defenses remained absolute; any move he made now would be suicidal, and it was a sure bet that Rikichi's cause would die with him, thereby ensuring Zero's complete domination over his people. Obviously, as prided Rikichi was in his Japanese heritage, he had no wish to die just yet, especially when he had too much to accomplish before his final journey to _Yomi-no-kuni_. That idea alone both invigorated and angered him to know end.

But there was a consolation there: the war was not yet over, no more so than his book was finished. As long as that remained, then Rikichi had all the time in the world to find a weak point in Zero's ultimate shield. And there _was _a weak point, as there was no such thing as a true "ultimate" shield. Rikichi need only maintain his gaze, until such a time he found it.

_"Demon King he calls himself..."_ he blurted out loud with a tint of disgust. _"Well like all demons, his is a presence that must be banished." _

Scrolling across his laptop screen, he was quick to find the "save" icon, wishing to continue his manifesto for another time. _"And a voice that must be silenced!"_ And with that growl he slammed his mouse with malevolent intent brewing.

* * *

**Xiaopei Fortress  
Duchy of Jiangsu, Area 22 (China), Holy Britannian Empire  
June 28, 2025 a.t.b.**

_"Luoyang!?" _a CLA official shouted out in disbelief. "You would have us attack Luoyang!? That's suicide!"

_I'm really getting tired of that claim._ Lelouch thought, resisting the urge to roll his eyes. It had been some time now since the negotiations had started, and now that they had _finally_ gotten to the part that really mattered, after what seemed like _hours _of needless deliberation and heated exchanges, he felt his patience wearing very thin. For a time he was tempted to simply use his Geass and turn the CLA higher ups into his slaves then and there, but while he kept that as an option, he still wanted to avoid using his Geass whenever possible.

Thus, he maintained his vigilante yet affable front. "Not just Luoyang." he continued, smiling a little as he reflected upon Operation Akai Yoake's core objectives. "Beijing, Taiyuan, Yinchuan, Zhengzhou, Wuhan... We will be attacking all of Calares' power centers in a single offensive, with the intention of liberating every one of them. Once we hold each city, the Britannians will have no choice but to abandon this Area."

Lelouch then clasped his hands together on the table, continuing in spite of the disbelieving glances he was receiving from the CLA officials; only Xingke and Tianzi remained passive. "For this to succeed, we will need to pool our resources and our planning together."

"This is _beyond _insanity!" another CLA official let out. "You would have us launch a multi-pronged offensive against Calares' best defenses!? All at the same time!?"

"_We _accomplished a similar offensive during the Black Rebellion, and with far less numbers than what you possess." Ohgi pointed out, his personal feelings falling back upon what he told his wife before. That, and he would be damned before voicing his own doubts in front of these men and women.

"You choose a poor comparison, General Ohgi." Gu nearly growled, his own patience wearing thin. "Need I remind you of how _that_ ended?"

"With respect General Hong, I doubt the Britannians have the resources to perform another Devastation." Ohgi shot back, before a touch of slyness reached his lips. "Unless you believe nine million square kilometers of dust and rock is detonable."

"That is _quite_ beside the point." Xianglin replied sharply. "To meet just the _minimum_ requirements of such an operation, we would have to commit over half of our forces." she tried hard to keep the incredulousness out of her voice, but a slimmer still managed to enter her tone. "_Over_ _half _of the CLA, deployed into a multi-front offensive, with the Britannians holding every possible advantage. How can you even consider having us launch such a hopeless attack!?"

"Because, contrary to your words, it's your only hope for victory." Tohdoh spoke up. "As brought up earlier, your current employment of guerilla warfare has only led to a stalemate, which has ensured your survival yet kept you from fulfilling your core objectives. Meanwhile, confronting the Britannians through any conventional means would inevitably lead to a war of attrition, which you will certainly lose given the Empire's size and resources." he explained knowingly. "As such, the only way you will ever win this war is through a blitzkrieg; you will have to hit the Britannians hard in the places that hurt the most, and you will have to do it in the fastest way possible to keep them from recovery. Any other strategy will be doomed to failure."

To add effect, he then recalled a certain quote. "Even your favorite general noted 'one may advance and be irresistible if his attack is made against the enemy's weak points, and one may retire and be safe from reprisal if his movements are faster than his opponent's.'"

"Sun Tzu also advised not to besiege walled cities if it could be avoided." Gu countered. "And though it may be a 'weak point' to the Britannian occupation, there is no greater 'walled' city in China than Luoyang, while the others you mentioned are also highly defended. A direct attack on any of them would only be repelled, no matter how large a force we send."

"Beside the Britannians' conventional forces, there's also the Argus defense net to contend with!" another CLA general followed up. "That alone holds more firepower than our entire army and is spread across to every major city in the country, including the ones you listed!"

"Argus itself is the reason we've never been able to fight the Imperialist scum where it would truly hurt them. Nor liberate any of our major cities." another CLA general added scathingly.

Lelouch only sniffed at that. "Yes, I am very aware of Argus." _Calares'_ one _stroke of brilliance in his entire military career. _"And even I will admit that it is the ideal defense." he again smiled from under his mask. "However, the same reasons that make it the Britannians' ideal defense will also make it their greatest weakness. My strategy will see to that."

"And what is your strategy Zero?" Xingke spoke up again. "Another mud slide trick like you used at Narita? Or perhaps you are going to make the cities' outer blocks collapse, like you did with Tokyo during the Black Rebellion?" the gaze from the Senior General's eyes spoke volumes of favor. "Either of those would certainly deny them to the Britannians, but they wouldn't exactly keep the cities intact."

Lelouch felt his gut clench at the memories brought up from either event. _He's probing me, trying to provoke an outburst. _"I'm afraid I cannot explain my strategy just yet General, as we are not yet in a position to implement it. But I assure you it doesn't involve destroying the cities we are trying to save."

"Assuring indeed." Xingke answered, the tone in his voice being the exact opposite. "Then perhaps you can tell me this much about your strategy..." he looked Lelouch dead set on the mask. "Does it involve you fleeing from battle, just as you had at Tokyo?"

That one struck home, and Lelouch felt his eyes widen from the attack, as did the other Black Knight generals. Behind him, Kallen's eyes narrowed threateningly, while beside him, Tohdoh quickly launched to his feet. "You are commenting on a battle you took no part in, General Li!" the Black Knight general growled in warning.

"Perhaps, but that doesn't mean I'm _not _aware of Zero's actions during." Xingke replied dismissively. "You were the one leading the charge, weren't you? Surely you found your commander's desertion distasteful, at least."

"_Again_, you are commenting on an event you did not witness." Tohdoh replied, his voice growing more dangerous with each word. "And while I could answer your inquiry, I see no reason to justify my commander's actions to the likes of _you_."

"Sit down Tohdoh." Lelouch commanded, his voice sounding more subdued. As Tohdoh did just that, Lelouch continued toward Xingke. "Is there a point you are trying to make here General?"

"Yes Zero." Xingke stated, before rising to his feet himself. "I have analyzed your exploits, from your liberation of Suzaku Kururugi to Pearl Harbor. From these I have determined your character, both as a commander and as a human being." though Lelouch's mask shielded his eyes, Xingke's still bored into them. "For all of your gifts and skill Zero, I find you to be a menace, both to your enemies and your own troops. Your tactics have been effective but highly reckless, at times needlessly endangering your own forces, while your inability to adapt to the tide of battle has resulted in many losses. As such, I believe that any strategy you create would be a double edged sword, one that will either give complete victory or irreparable losses."

Lelouch opened his mouth to reply, but Xingke only continued. "Also, it is clear to me, from your actions during the Black Rebellion and beforehand, that you only see your troops and allies as pawns; completely expendable to your ultimate objective. You willingly abandoned your troops in the middle of the Black Rebellion, and further back allowed the Britannians to destroy the Japan Liberation Front at Yokosuka to give rise to your group." Xingke then turned to Tohdoh. "The fact certain members of the JLF have chosen to join the Black Knights truly disgusts me."

Again Tohdoh's gaze at the CLA commander was anything but pleasent, yet Xingke ignored it all the same. He quickly moved to his main point. "Thus, I believe any alliance with the Black Knights to be too great a risk." he stated staunchly. "The CLA is the last form of organized resistance in this country; once it is finished, the Britannians will have complete control of this nation, and no other would be able to stop them."

He then finished with. "As such, I will _not _risk this army in any strategy concocted by a madman such as yourself! Much less the madman responsible for the Black Rebellion, and therefore, the Devastation!"

Now it was Ohgi's turn to look infuriated. "You're out of line General!"

"Is he!?" one of the other CLA generals added with his own vehemence. "Or perhaps he's speaking sense, something that is desperately needed among you Elevens!"

The room exploded from there. As the shouting match between the Black Knights and the CLA began anew, with far more intensity than before, the security forces of either army eyed each other with their hands kept to their weapons; the only one who was not looking that way was Kallen, who instead gazed Xingke and the other CLA generals with ferocity that she usually held for Britannians. It was obvious that, had it not been against her side's best interests, she would have drawn Hiryu and made for the Chinese Tiger's throat, both for his comments just now and certain hypocrisy that only Kallen was able to perceive. Even so, she knew where this situation was going, and so turned back to her own leader.

For his part, Lelouch could only remain silent, his mouth hung open from behind his veil and his eyes wide in shock. Xingke had hit him in almost every weak point, and as a result, he was unable to formulate a response to the general's accusations, much less find a way to end the current tantrum between the officials. Yet he knew that each second this continued, the more his plans became undone; unless he voiced a retort, and that retort countered Xingke's accusations effectively, then no alliance would be forged that day. At least, not without Lelouch using his Geass, which was something he dearly needed to avoid at this time, as it would cost him the ability to use it on Tianzi and the other CLA staff in the future.

Through the torrent of anger and barbed words, he looked toward Tianzi to see how she was handling this. What he saw once again shocked him; instead of cowering back as he might have suspected, Tianzi remained seated upright while her expression remained passive, as if she were sitting in the center of a hurricane. The current bickering between the CLA and the Black Knights had no effect on her demeanor; instead, her gaze remained fixed forward. Directly into through Zero's mask and into Lelouch's own eyes, just as Xingke's had been beforehand.

From that gaze, Lelouch understood. Though she had the power to stop the current conflict and bring the CLA into submission, as well as declare an official alliance between her military and the Black Knights without obstruction, Tianzi held back the command and for good reason. For the alliance to work, the CLA needed to willingly ally with the Black Knights; if Tianzi commanded them, Xingke and the others would fall in line from the order, but they would still see the Black Knights as a hindrance and a potential threat. No alliance would last with that mindset, and the Britannians would only grow emboldened at the conflict between their enemies. Thus, if the alliance was to be forged, it fell to Lelouch and Lelouch alone to convince the doubters that it was in their best interest; he could not change their perception of him or his past actions, but he could still make them see that their survival hinged on the Black Knights joining their war. Either way, it was all on him to do so.

But even as Lelouch's mind raced to find a way to undo Xingke's previous words and salvage everything else, he could not come up with anything coherent. Underneath the table he felt his hands begin to shake as the panic started to overpower him, and once more, only his mask kept those in front of him from seeing it on his face.

"This has gone on long enough!" Xingke declared, causing all attention at the table to turn towards him. "It is clear that there is nothing to be gained from these talks! As such, I give you this ultimatum Zero: leave now before I have my troops storm your battleship and seize your contingent."

"You're making a mistake...!" Lelouch was just able to breathe. "Without our aid, your revolution's loss is assured!"

Xingke answered with a cold glare. "The CLA has fought the Britannians for seven years without any aid from you or anyone else in the outside world." he declared. "We will survive _without_ you or your legion of _pan bian_."

The Chinese General then got up and drew his sword, pointing it threateningly at Lelouch. "Now, return to your ship and depart this land. I will not repeat my earlier warning."

_Damn it! _Lelouch mentally cursed as the visor over his left eye opened, revealing his Geass to the world.

_"Really General?"_ a new voice spoke up, completely breaking the atmosphere around the table and preventing Lelouch from speaking a command. _"Do you truly believe those words?"_

All eyes suddenly shifted backwards, toward perhaps the last person _anyone_, including Lelouch, thought would speak up at that meeting. Satisfied that she now had their attention, Kallen allowed her gaze to narrow challengingly on Xingke, while a very Lelouch-like smirk emerged on her face. "Because from where I'm standing, I don't think so."

Xingke glowered back at the Black Knight ace, looking more angered by her words than he should have. "I don't believe this is your place to speak, Major..."

"Wait." Tianzi spoke immediately. "I would like to hear her words." after Xingke acknowledged by seething his sword and sitting back down, the former Chairwoman then looked back at Kallen and nodded. "Go on Major Kouzuki."

Inwardly, Kallen was a bit surprised that Tianzi of all people came to her support, but went on regardless. She looked back at Xingke, then looked up toward the air. "Tell me General, how much of the CLA is concentrated here?" Kallen asked. "Am I right to assume Xiaopei holds the bulk of your military assets?"

"Just what are you..." Gu spoke up, before silencing at a wave of Xingke's hand.

Xingke then nodded, albeit hesitantly. "That is correct Major."

At that, Kallen's smirk expanded, while also taking cues from Lelouch in posture and gaze. "In that case, don't you find it hypocritical General? You claim our leader to be a madman, and yet here you are, leading your forces in a war against a superiorly armed, numbered _and_ skilled enemy." she replied, before adding. _"...a war that, no matter what you do, you will_ never_ win." _her gaze then became even more intense. "Does that not sound like madness to you?"

Now it was Xingke's turn to feel hit at a point of weakness, causing him to nearly shoot back up again. Several of the other CLA officials did that for him, looking more ready to tell their soldiers to open fire than to tell the impudent Black Knight off. "A strong accusation." Xingke replied, quickly waving down his subordinates, while looking back with certain impatience toward Kallen. "But can you back it up, _wei zhao yi_?"

The look in Kallen's eyes told him and the others that she would more than oblige. "This base's allotment is as follows." she started. "Ten thousand five hundred and sixty-one combat and command personnel, four hundred and seventy two medical personnel, five hundred and sixty three _Gun Ru_ knightmare frames, three hundred forty seven conventional armor units ranging from _Qilin _main battle tanks to _Longma_ amphibious fighting vehicles, three hundred twenty eight _Sanzuniao_ VTOLs, five landships of the _Long Dan_-class..."

She then finished with certain flair. "...and despite your claim of fighting without support from the outside, four Chawla designed seventh generation knightmare frames." even Xingke could not keep the astonishment off his face over that one. "The _Shen Hu_, _Shen Wu_, _Shen Que_ and _Shen Long_."

"How...!?" one of the Chinese officials stammered, reflecting the collective thought of every CLA staff member, including Xingke. Even Tianzi looked taken back by Kallen's display.

Meanwhile, Lelouch himself was surprised, but for a whole different reason. _Four!? The CLA has four of those!?_ he thought, before his brow furrowed. _Rakshata better have an explanation for this one._

"That doesn't matter." Kallen replied to the question, continuing. "What matters is with that amount of firepower and personnel, this fortress will _not_ hold against a Britannian onslaught." she stated with force. "For all of the numbers the CLA possesses, the fact remains the Britannians have better technology, manpower and training; one of theirs is equal to ten or twenty of yours." she went on before Xingke could reply to that. "For Xiaopei, it would just take one division with adequate air support to break the conventional forces, while Knights of the Round could deal with the _Shen Hu _and its siblings." with the blow struck, the point was quickly emphasized. "One division plus support units. Barely a drop in the bucket for an empire that runs over sixty percent of the world."

Her eyes scanned across the CLA generals, who were now quite subdued by Kallen's declaration. "Think about that for a second. You say Xiaopei is your strongest fortress, and yet for Britannia it would hardly be a struggle to conquer. And that's assuming the Homeland doesn't send a _competent _commander, such as Schneizel, Cornelia or Lelouch..." she couldn't help but inwardly smirk at the irony on that one. "...to oversee the campaign, in which case it would not be a struggle, but a windfall."

"Xiaopei is not as weak as you claim." Xingke growled, now finding himself in the same position he had put Zero in just moments ago. "The Britannians would pay dearly in blood before it would fall to them."

"Perhaps they would." Kallen replied. "But the point remains; your strongest fortress _would_ fall to a concentrated assault." she looked Xingke square in the eye again. "What about the CLA's other hideaways? How long would they last if Britannia discovered them? Could they even function effectively without you to command them?" her gaze narrowed until it look like Kallen's eyes were going to completely bore through Xingke's. _"Just how can a snake devour a dragon, especially when its head has already been cut?"_

She then stepped back. "Thus, I reiterate General: fighting a war you cannot win, with the best possible scenario being a permanent stalemate between your forces and your enemies, is in my humble opinion true madness." she then added. "In fact, I believe the proper term to describe the CLA under that mindset is _zhi lao hu_..." again her smirk took on Lelouch-like tones. "...a paper tiger."

The glances she received from the CLA present were nothing short of murderous. Kallen ignored them however, instead looking down toward the back of Lelouch's mask, quickly adopting a neutral expression. She knew she would hear it out from him later on, but that didn't matter. For the time being, she managed to open up a way for him. _Get him Lelouch._

Knowing full well what Kallen had just done, and how she did it, Lelouch nonetheless settled back into an upright posture, before looking toward Xingke. "General Li." Lelouch said, reclaiming Xingke's attention. "I told you at the beginning of this meeting that if your offensive remains unchanged, you would be fighting this revolution for generations to come." his voice was subdued at first, but quickly regained its former strength as he went on. "In truth, I was being generous."

At that, he stated staunchly. "If left unchanged, your revolution won't last into the next year."

Although still taken back by Kallen's tangent, Xingke still had enough in him to stare down Lelouch. "Once more, a bold claim Zero."

"Bold but accurate." Lelouch said, before clasping his hands together on the table. "Do you wish to know, General, the exact reason why you have lasted for this long? Why the Britannians have not located your bases and wiped away your army once and for all? Why Calares has not been replaced with a more prominent commander like those Major Kouzuki mentioned?"

Xingke wanted to respond to that, but he had a feeling about the answer; in fact, he had held that feeling for seven years now. The other CLA officials, meanwhile, turned their heads toward each other in anxiety, as if they feared the words Lelouch was about to speak. Tianzi, however, remained neutral and listening.

With that, Lelouch delivered it. _"It is because Emperor Charles himself does not see you as a threat."_

The effect was like that of a cannon blast, with Xingke looking away in a slight cringe while those around him were once more aghast. Lelouch smiled villainously at that display. "Right after you liberated your Chairwoman and fled Luoyang, Prince Schneizel contacted the Emperor and informed him of the event. After a full explanation, Schneizel then requested that he placed as Area 22's interim Viceroy, so that he may personally hunt down your forces and stabilize the region." he stated, taking internal pleasure in the fact what he was speaking now wasn't a deception, but the full truth. "As well, Prince Lelouch, who was present at that communiqué, added his own request; that he also stay and support his elder brother in this endeavor."

A sudden chill ran down Xingke's spine as he just realized what Zero was speaking; even he could not deny how events would have turned differently had Prince Schneizel led the garrison instead of Calares, and he would have been difficult enough _without_ the Black Prince, the man who would go on to wrestle much of Africa away from the EU, supporting him. Had they really come _that _close to outright annihilation?

"As you can guess, the Emperor turned both requests down." Lelouch stated, holding back a cringe of his own at the memory of his father's face. "He openly claimed that you and the CLA were 'but a nuisance', and that you were unworthy of their attention, especially since Britannia was still preparing for its invasion of Europe." he leaned back a little bit. "As such, both princes were recalled to the Homeland and in their place they sent Calares."

That put down, Lelouch went for the main point, looking toward the other CLA members as he did. "That, my friends, is all your revolution amounts to in the eyes of Britannia." he spelled it out. _"A nuisance."_

"Just how do you know that!?" Xianglin barked. "There's no way you could have had spies that deep in Britannia at the time! How could you even be aware of that event!?"

"You're lying!" another shouted, pointing a finger at Lelouch. "You're trying to intimidate us again!"

Lelouch laughed lightly at the collective outburst. "Rest assured that is the truth. I can even provide evidence if you so wish."

He allowed a moment of silence for it all to settle in, before he began speaking toward Xingke again. "I do not give praise lightly General." he opened up with. "In spite of the Britannians seeing you as little more than an annoyance, you have made great accomplishments over the years. You have turned one of the most antiquated and poorly trained armies to ever exist into a consistent thorn in Britannia's side; a thorn that, in spite of all their power, the Imperials have yet to get rid of."

Xingke still looked hardened despite that praise, but Lelouch expected that. "However, that does not change the fact that the CLA is _only _a thorn; it can hurt Britannia every so often, but it cannot defeat it. And while you yourself live up to being the Chinese Tiger, even you can do only so much with a weak army like this one." his eyes narrowed. "Especially since you've chosen to fight alone, with as little outside support as you believe necessary."

Lelouch then leaned back a bit before he added the last clincher. "Once the EU falls and all the world becomes one with Britannia, there is no doubt in my mind that your luck will end." he stated with clear assurance. "You have managed to avoid Britannia's global radar, and you have had the fortune of having an inept occupational viceroy for your opponent. But rest assured, these things will be amended when the Empire decides to bring its full power upon you, and in such a fight, you will be given no advantage nor mercy."

At that, he finished with. "By my calculations, you will last approximately one year's time." he stated. "After which, you will be wiped away entirely, and your defeat will be seen as further validation of the Empire's might, alongside the 'eternal weakness' of the Numbers." something flickered in Xingke's eyes at that explanation, but Lelouch didn't pause to see what it was. "Tell me General, is that how you want your revolution to be recorded? As a symbol of your nation's weaknesses and your enemy's strengths? As just another 'weak' nation that fell before the Empire, in which it would be one in a line of thousands?"

Xingke considered that for some amount of time. In the midst of that consideration, glanced toward Tianzi, only to find graveness in her eyes. It took every ounce of will in the Senior General not to flinch at that stare, especially when he knew the true nature behind it. _It's not that this _hun dan_'s_ _words have swayed her._ the Senior General thought, feeling his gut clench. _It's because she herself had come to the exact same conclusions long ago. Zero merely reinforced them._

Seeing no way to argue, Xingke let out a sigh. As much as he hated to admit it, Zero's words had also reinforced his own long term doubts, and as much as he detested the phantom, he could no longer deny the ultimate conclusion. Even so, he felt himself put up one more defense. "And what of you, Zero?" he asked. "Do you believe _your _revolution will amount to anything?"

Lelouch folded his hands into fists. "Perhaps it will. Perhaps it won't." he stated, not even bothering to consider that, at least not there. "Either way, there is one thing I believe in: that _we _can achieve what others would claim impossible." he spoke with as much directness as he could muster. "But only if we put aside our disagreements and work together against our common foe."

From there, a pausing moment of silence once more encompassed the table. Tianzi didn't need to glance over to see what kind of effect Zero's words had; she could almost feel the CLA general staff mulling over those words, alongside all that had been spoken up to now. She inwardly smirked at that; if nothing else, Zero had at least given pause to their hubris and made them realize just how bad of a situation they were in. And even though they still did not explicitly see the Black Knights or their masked leader as comrades, they would at least come to see them as allies once she had her own words with them.

_Once again Zero, you do not disappoint._ she thought, before speaking up again. "Well, I see that we have much to consider, especially in regard to this Operation _Hong Chen_." she opened with, looking back at Zero. "For the time being Zero, I ask that you and your party return to the _Ikaruga_. You have my word that you will not be harassed." she said with assurance. "We will alert you when the decision has been made."

Lelouch nodded, satisfied that he got that much at least. "Very well Your Excellency." he then looked over and nodded at his generals, who all rose simultaneously, as did the CLA staff. At long last, the talks were now officially over.

* * *

**Black Knights air battleship **_**Ikaruga  
**_**Duchy of Jiangsu, Area 22 (China), Holy Britannian Empire  
June 28, 2025 a.t.b.**

"Welcome back." C.C. said with a corner glance as both Lelouch and Kallen entered into the Devil's Den. At the moment she was enjoying a pizza lunch, which obviously took precedent over her partners' entry. "I take it the meeting went well?"

"They were far from cordial." Lelouch replied as he quickly stripped off his mask, cloak and uniform jacket, leaving him in a white shirt, uniform pants and boots. He then sat down on one of the couches, as did Kallen. "I've had better 'negotiations' with the Afrika Korps."

"Well, at least it wasn't a bloodbath." C.C. replied, as she took another pizza. "And you made it through _without _using your Geass. That's quite an accomplishment, for you."

Kallen looked up, perturbed. "How do you know that?"

C.C. smirked. "Being a Code Bearer has its perks." she then looked back toward Lelouch. "So what happens now?"

"Now we wait until they decide this alliance is well and truly their only hope." Lelouch said, clasping his hands underneath his chin. "It may take anywhere between minutes or hours, but eventually Tianzi will be able to convince the remaining deniers."

"Maybe." Kallen said, doubt remaining in her eyes. "The question now is how long will the alliance last. Sure, we have common interests, but that doesn't mean there's any trust or friendship between us." she sighed, knowing that several other Black Knights felt as much animosity as the Chinese did to them. "Too much leftover hate from the previous eras, alongside the likes of Kyushu."

"Trust and friendship can be gained as time goes on. For the moment however, we need only their allegiance to the cause." Lelouch replied, before recalling her performance at the meeting. As much as he detested her usage of Geass, which she had obviously done at some point before entering in, the fact was she had salvaged the situation. As such, he looked over toward his bodyguard and friend with sincerity. "And by the way Kallen... Thank you, for stepping in for me. You saved me from doing something I would regret later."

At that, Kallen couldn't help but blush at the praise, though she did well to keep Lelouch from seeing it. "Not at all. I figured the Chinese were going be pompous bastards, so I thought you could use the insurance."

Lelouch nodded. "While I can figure out where you got the Xiaopei garrison numbers from." he said, purposely avoiding any mention of Kallen's Geass. "Where did you learn to talk like that?"

A small pause quickly occurred before Kallen started to laugh. "From you." she replied. "I was imitating you the whole time."

Lelouch couldn't help but blink in a minor shock, before he himself laughed, albeit uncomfortably. _My god, do I really sound that ridiculous? _he thought while leaning back against his couch, relaxing for perhaps the first time that day.

Kallen did the same, feeling the world slowly begin to drain away. However, just before she could fall asleep, a sudden memory flashed in her mind; one of the images that she had seen with her Geass. Quickly her head shot back up. "Lelouch, about Xingke..."

"I know." Lelouch said, automatically figuring out what Kallen was going to say. He slowly leaned back up, sighing as he did so. "My mask's sensors picked up on it as well."

Kallen nodded, suddenly feeling hesitant. "What are we going to do? He can't possibly have that much time left."

Lelouch closed his eyes solemnly. "I'm not sure Kallen." he said, looking as though one of the worst possible scenarios in his plan had just occurred. "For once, I'm really not sure..."

From her position, C.C., in the midst of finishing her latest slice, looked on with a serious expression of her own.

* * *

**McConnell Air Base  
Luoyang Settlement, Area 22 (China), Holy Britannian Empire  
June 28, 2025 a.t.b.**

If his secretary's earlier report didn't validate the incoming VIPs in Calares' eyes, then their choice of transport certainly did. Rather than the standard _Caerleon_-class destroyer, the ship had a prominently sloped bow, enlarged float system wings, _two_ catapult decks instead of one, and eight cannons mounted around her hull; all identifiable traits of the _Avalon_-class air cruiser line. However, the defining point laid in coloring; rather than the pathfinder's trademark orange tinted hull, this airship was painted in a prominent shade of red to accompany her secondary white.

She was the _Valhalla_, the sixth of the _Avalon_ line, of which there were only twelve at the current time. Not unlike the _Logres_-class battleship, _Avalons _were considered ships of high nobility; their commanders were routinely Earls or Dukes, albeit ones that usually held the considerable tactical skill to warrant such commands, while those who sought to use them as flagships or transport tended to be even higher up in court rank. In that sense, Calares, much to his inner turmoil and potential ulcer, could no longer deny that the people he had been waiting on were, in fact, who he had been told before.

Sure enough, a side hatch yawned open as a ramp extended. A few guard troops exited first, but once they were out, three far more distinguishable figures emerged; two men and woman, dressed in pristine white uniforms and bearing a signature cloak, each colored red, olive green and dark red respectively.

"Attention!" Calares ordered to the troop lines behind him, their boot heals snapping together simultaneously just as the three reached the tarmac. Calares performed the same act himself, feeling like a lowly Private throughout the process. But then, standing before three of the Emperor's handpicked elites, he might as well had been an E-1.

Looking out over the formation himself, Johann nodded with minute satisfaction at what he saw. "At ease." he stated, before looking toward Calares. "Your orders were to receive us in a _subtle _manner, General Calares."

Calares coughed before he answered. "My apologies Sir Ernst, but it is not everyday my command is graced with the presence of the Knights of the Round." he stated, doing well in keeping the discomfort out of his voice. Or at least, he thought so. "I thought you would appreciate a formal welcoming party."

"Oh please." Michael stated with a wave hand. "You're just trying to kiss our asses so we can go home and tell His Majesty good things about you." he then fixed Calares the snarkiest glance the general had ever seen on a human being. "You REMFs are all the same."

Calares felt his hand twitch and threaten to curl into a fist, but he managed to maintain control. "I assure you, Sir Raleigh, that was not my intention."

"Uh-huh. Liar liar pants on fire!" Nena called out in a sing song tone.

The Lieutenant General let out a breath of air before gesturing. "If you will please follow me." he said, gesturing toward a waiting limousine. A few moments later, all four were in the limo and driving off the base, heading straight to the Government Bureau.

As they passed desolate looking streets, a good portion of which were filled with downtrodden Twenty-Twos, Calares began speaking again. "As you can see, we don't have much to fight for here in Area 22, but your presence is still very much appreciated." he stated, looking toward Johann while ignoring the mocking faces of Michael and Nena. "If we are to retain firm control over this land, Xingke's reign of terror must be ended."

Suddenly, Michael and Nena broke out into fits of laughter, as if Calares had just told a joke. "Heh heh heh, you're really not all that bright are you General!?" Michael laughed. "Maybe you've been at a desk for too long!"

"Or _under _one for that matter!" Nena added in between her own fits.

Calares grit his teeth as he mouthed out a response. "I'm afraid I don't understand. Did I say something...funny?"

"Not at all General. Xingke is a _particular_ annoyance." Johann replied, as he picked up a cup of tea from a nearby compartment, taking a sip before answering. "Even so, he is _not _the reason His Majesty sent us here."

At that, Calares realized who Johann was really speaking of. "Tianzi."

"Yes." Johann confirmed. "His Majesty feels that she has been given free reign for far too long, and is well on her way toward becoming a true threat to the Empire. Thus, he has deployed Sir Raleigh, Lady Gurlukovich and myself to bring her back to the Homeland." he lifted the cup back to his lips. "Alive if possible. Dead if necessary."

The Lieutenant General felt himself gulp at Johann's cold, almost otherworldly monotone. "And the CLA?"

"Well duh!" Michael nearly shouted. "How are we supposed to bring her to Britannia _without _wiping out her attack bitches!?" he leered at Calares. "You really haven't thought this through, have you Calories!?"

Again Calares had to hold back his stern reply. "That's Calares." he nearly barked.

"Calares. Calories. _Whatever_." Michael let out. "Same fucking difference!"

"That will do Michael." Johann commanded subtly, causing Michael to calm down, at least for the time being. He then looked back at Calares. "Since removing Tianzi from this land requires direct confrontation against the CLA, yes General, we will be fighting them." he then motioned. "As such, I will be taking full command of Area 22's garrison from this point on."

Despite his best efforts this time, Calares could not keep the incredulousness off his face. "But Sir Ernst, is that really necessary!?" he almost stammered. "I've been fighting the CLA for seven years, I..."

"Exactly General." Johann replied. "You've been fighting an enemy you should have defeated at the onset for seven years. And while His Majesty looks well upon your service to the throne, he is still displeased with that performance." the smiles that Michael and Nina flashed at that exclamation could have made the Cheshire Cat envious. "Therefore, you will follow whatever orders I give you to the letter, and you will not step out of line in any way. If you perform well, you may yet retain your command."

Johann eyed the general carefully as he added the following. "If you do not, you will find yourself demoted and transferred to the Russian Front, where you may deal with Prince Horatio's command." he summarized. "Are we clear, General?"

All of a sudden, Zhao Hao's words began to burn in Calares' ears as he recalled them. Even so, he still had the professionalism to nod at that question. "Yes, My Lord." he nearly growled.

"Good." Johann said, satisfied. "Once we return to the Bureau, you will call together your senior staff for a meeting. Whether it be the CLA or my own commanders, I wish to know _exactly _whom I am dealing with. From there, we will work to implement our new strategy."

Again it was only Calares' professionalism that kept him from saying anything unbecoming. "It will be done, Sir Ernst."

From there, the limo ride back to the Bureau was in complete silence. And yet, one could not help but feel a foreboding sense of doom, as one of the worst possible enemies for the Black Knights and the CLA had entered into the Vermillion City...

* * *

TO BE CONTINUED...

**Author's Notes:** Sorry about the delay. Typing out this chapter was more difficult than I expected; in fact, I'm still not sure if it turned out all that well. Didn't help that I'm on the final year of my college and all the "hard" classes have been stacking up lately. Even so, I hope you guys enjoyed it.

Some time ago I ended up going back over the chapters and doing some revision; mostly just grammar errors and some script revising. That said, I didn't make any serious changes except for one thing: I traded the Zero Squadron _Akatsukis_ for a set of _Guren Isshikis_ (Mk-Is). The design came out fairly recently as part of the _Oz of the Reflection_ set, and the first thing I was quick to note was that there was more than one unit; apparently it was a limited production design in canon. As such, I couldn't resist the idea of Zero Squadron being outfitted entirely with _Gurens_ (though Kallen's _Nishiki_, or Mk-II, still remains a one of a kind machine), especially since that was more or less what I was doing with my earlier _Akatsuki Hasushiki_ design in the previous chapter. So yeah, just pretend those have always been there.

Moving on, I'm probably going to get harped on for "violating canon" again by having Lelouch be physically strong, but for the life of me I couldn't see Bismarck train him _without_ making him go through physical exercise, nor could I see him pilot the _Gawain _as effectively without holding great endurance (as described). Besides, this is something of a life story for me, as I used to be as frail and weak as Lelouch was in the series, but during High School I ended up getting into weight lifting and bulking up exponentially. Thus, I figure if I could do it, then so could Lelouch.

Moving on yet again, _Akito the Exiled_ is now out, and having seen the first episode, I must say _I'm not impressed_. While I felt the story was more enjoyable than say, the latter half of _R2_, it struck me as cliché and rather depressing; in fact, I now see _Code Geass _as a Crapsaccharine World.

Oh where to begin? I guess I'll start with the setting: it seems that the EU is the Earth Federation (UC era _Gundam_) of the _Code Geass_ world, with its excessive bureaucratic structure (_Three_ Presidents? Really?), its equally excessive concern for public opinion (such that it dictates how they run their _defensive_ war) and, naturally, its completely random xenophobia toward Japanese. With that said, all three major nations in _Code Geass_ are officially dystopias in their own way, with only Britannia (of all of them!) being a decent place to live (as long as you're a native). Seriously, as much as some readers accuse _Megiddo_ of inducing audience apathy, how are we supposed to cheer on the EU as "the good guys" when it seems like Britannia, as bad as it was in the main series, is the lesser evil? Granted, they are destined to lose, but that's still beside the point.

On that end, I find certain irony on the canon EU being French dominated (French even seems to be the official language), which contrasts _Megiddo_'s version of the EU being German dominated. From there, the differences between the two speak for themselves.

Meanwhile, it seems that the writers are really hellbent on establishing their race alongside the Jews of OTL as the most hated ethnicity on the planet (no I don't hate Jews, I just can't think of another race that has been so detested throughout history), at least in _Code Geass_ proper. This in itself feels completely random to me when applied to the EU; it's like somebody Geassed the entire population of Europe into hating the Japanese for no apparent reason, such that they have no qualms using them as glorified suicide bombers. Britannia I can understand because they're the evil empire, but the EU? The nation that's supposed to stand against all forms of tyranny and hold all mankind as created equal? Doesn't make sense, and it's made even worse by how emphasized the European xenophobia is, i.e. when that one truck driver suddenly had a shift in attitude when he realized Akito was Japanese (I love the fact he had to look at Akito's dogtags to figure it out). Helps even less that, outside of some abstract side material claim that Japan used its sakuradite to manipulate the politics and economies of other nations, we're not even showed _what _exactly the Japanese did to Europe and elsewhere to earn such hatred.

Moving onto the characters, I know it's still the first episode and they haven't been properly fleshed out yet, but I can't say I'm impressed with the main cast either. Of all the characters shown so far, only Leila stands out, being an effective officer (if not commander) who can take care of herself as well as skillfully work her way up the food chain. Aside from her, there really isn't much else; Akito follows along the line set by _Gundam Wing_'s Heero Yuy, _Full Metal Panic_'s Sousuke Sagara and _Gundam 00_'s Setsuna F. Seiei as the kid soldier with the woodblock personality, the other W-0 members seem to be standard-line anime bridge officer (as well as bridge bunny) types, Shin seems interesting at least (like an actual evil version of Suzaku) but hasn't done anything to earn himself favor (yet), the two Britannian knight commanders seem to be throwaway characters (at least Manfredi was, which is a shame because he actually seemed like a decent Britannian), and the three Japanese punks that Leila ends up recruiting feel rather mundane (in fact, I found them comparable to the Extended sets from _Gundam SEED_). Rather disappointing, but I don't blame the poor turnout on the writing; I blame it on the OVA only being an hour long and not allowing the various characters to be developed in that timeframe.

On a minor note, one thing I did like about this characters are the EU uniform designs some wore, especially those belonging to Smilas and Hamel (the uniforms worn by Leila, Akito and the other W-0 people are, contrarily, _way_ out of place). If there's one thing the EU does well at least, it's Putting On The Reich, and as such the uniform designs are not far off from what I envisioned for _Megiddo_ (except with my EU favoring _feldgrau _instead of cobalt blue for theme colors). That said, I now imagine Rommel wearing the same uniform as Smilas, and subsequently Hans donning Hamel's uniform, with the only differences being grey in place of blue.

From there we go onto the mecha. The _Alexander_ has got to be the worst knightmare design I've seen yet; oh don't get me wrong, it's certainly effective in Akito's hands, but it just feels more like a giant medabot (a series that I detested) than a knightmare, and it especially doesn't fit in as an EU machine. Personally I always thought the "main" EU knightmare was going to be heavily armored and panzer-like; perhaps not Zeon styled machines like I have in _Megiddo_, but still along the design lines of a King Tiger tank to the _Hummel_ being a Panzer III. Instead, we get an anorexic _Lancelot _wannabe with one of the most contrived transformations I've ever seen on a mecha. Talk about disappointments.

The rest are not much better; the Britannian machines are more or less what they were in the main series, while the only other series exclusive design, the _Gardmare_, is both ugly (almost on the level of your average _Gundam_ mobile armor) and useless (even Akito's unit was wiped out too easily by Ryou's _Glasgow_). I'll understand if the latter is a third generation type or prior (as in the "walking tank" pre-knightmares), but if it's a fourth generation type or later, then the EU has less of a chance against Britannia than even I thought. Conversely (and _very_ ironically), the redesigned _Panzer Hummel_ is probably the best design in the series so far. Sure it's still cannon fodder (at least that's what the main _AtE_ website tells us), but it actually looks like a monster this time around, as if it would take four or five _Sutherlands _just to bring one of those down.

And then there's the soundtrack, which is even more all over the place than the main series, alternating between plain symphonic to high-speed jazz tones from each scene. The only track that I really liked was the one that was played during Shin's meeting with Manfredi; reminded me of "Girei" from _Naruto Shippuuden_, with its majestic tones and haunting background choir. I wouldn't mind using that one for _Megiddo _at least.

Overall, _Akito the Exile_ isn't off to a horrible start, but it isn't exactly a grand beginning either. Too many uninteresting characters and plotlines and too little emphasis on the ones that are actually intriguing; again, the only character that seems worthy of note right now is Leila, but even she hasn't done anything of real worth yet. Along that line, too few battle scenes as well; aside from the Narva operation at the beginning and Ryou's attack toward the end (both of which were very brief), there really wasn't any action to speak of. I'm not saying the series should be dominated by action scenes, but the first episode would have been the ideal place to put it in; after all, look how well it worked for _Gundam Unicorn_'s first episode.

Even so, this series still retains potential and I will definitely be following it. Until next time.


	20. Chapter 20: Banquet

_"All political thinking for years past has been vitiated in the same way. People can foresee the future only when it coincides with their own wishes, and the most grossly obvious facts can be ignored when they are unwelcome."  
_- George Orwell

**Chapter 20: Banquet  
**

**Prince Schneizel Square  
London Settlement, Area 45 (Britain), Holy Britannian Empire  
July 3, 2025 a.t.b.  
**

The coldest stones were the oldest stones, and these stones dated back to 1427 a.t.b., though they had changed form frequently as time went on. Indeed, these stones had seen many Emperors and Empresses come and go, as well as the Peasants' Revolt, the Reformation, the first three Britannian Civil Wars as well as the following rise and fall of the Britannian Commonwealth, the Glorious Revolution and, of course, the aftermath of Trafalgar and the exile of the Tudors and their followers to Edinburgh, and then to the West. And now, they had lived to see the return of the Imperials to their "rightful" homeland.

Originally built as the Emperor's Mews, or private stable and carriage houses, the site had been demolished in 1860 when the French and their EU allies had occupied London following their victory at Trafalgar. Under the auspices of architects John Nash and William Wilkins, who to this day the Imperialists claimed were forced into collaboration by the city's new masters, the area was rebuilt into Trafalgar Square, a public square meant to commemorate the French naval victory and the following "liberation" of the British Isles from the Empire's "tyranny". For obvious reasons, the square was not well received by the public at that time, who considered it a symbol of their humiliation and loss, though later generations would eventually come to accept it alongside their being part of the EU. From that point on, the square would remain unblemished for over an entire century; it was only now, after the Britannians' return to the Isles and their establishment of Area 45, that the square had once again been demolished, both from wayward firing during the Battle of London and from the scorn of Britannian soldiers at its presence.

As such, what was once a pristine order of stone and granite was now a virtual wasteland filled with ruin. Blast craters, bullet holes, indented tread marks from vehicles and knightmares and collapsed buildings and structures were littered as far as the eye could see. The grey and gloomy sky, always present in this part of the world, didn't help its image; had the rest of the city not remained intact, one would have believed London and its residence had joined the likes of Tokyo, Kyoto and Yokohama in the realm beyond. Fortunately it wasn't going to remain like this; the newly established Area government, having renamed the section Prince Schneizel Square in an ironic echo of the French's original act, had already decreed that it and the rest of London would be rebuilt in the next few years. For the time being however, desolation remained.

Yet it was that same desolation, as well as the accompanying inattentiveness from the Imperial authorities and local residents, that made the square a perfect meeting place between two dedicated enemies of Britannia. Sitting at the foot of what had once been Villeneuve's Column, Milly Ashford continued to gaze out at the landscape around her while ignoring the emotions inside of her. The Column had especially been the focal point of the Britannian soldiers' wrath; what remained of it was a broken stump from the Corinthian column base, small fragments of the four bronze lions that had once guarded it and the mangled form of Vice Admiral Pierre-Charles Villeneuve's statue, crushed by a _Sutherland_'s hand and thrown to the opposite side of the square. The Duchess sighed at that; so much history now laid to waste in the blink of an eye.

_Then again, Villeneuve was a prissy bastard anyway._ she thought, recalling what the history books, both Britannian and European written, claimed about the Admiral. Rumor had it even Napoleon couldn't stand the man.

She wasn't able to think further on that line however, as the sound of footsteps nearby soon entered her ears; she did not turn to look, as she had a pretty good idea of who it was. Sure enough, a single yet familiar looking man casually walked up to her. "Your Grace..." the man started, speaking in a subdued tone. "The Black King has invited you to Mount Fuji."

Milly resisted the urge to roll her eyes at that code. Even now it still sounded like a brainwashing technique to her. "I am honored to accept his invitation." came the confirmation, before she stood up and looked back toward the newcomer. "I trust we are perfectly alone, Colonel Reid?"

"For the moment at least, discounting my security staff around the perimeter of course." Diethard replied knowingly. "I must say I'm impressed. I did not expect the leader of the Ashford Underground to come all the way out here herself."

Milly just shrugged. "I could say the same about you, the head of the Black Knights Intelligence Corps."

"Heh." Diethard replied with a small smirk. "We are both leaders, so it's only logical that I meet with you directly rather than send a representative." a piqued look entered his eyes. "That said, I am curious. Why are you out here?"

Milly gestured toward the surrounding square. "My ancestors once owned a fair portion of this island, when it was the original Homeland. Now that it has returned to the Empire as Area 45, that same land has again fallen under the Ashford family's, or more precisely _my_, ownership." she returned her own smirked. "Officially, I'm here to inspect my new acquisitions."

"And what of the MI5 agents that were sent to monitor you?" Diethard inquired. "Do you have a double in place?"

The aristocrat chuckled. "Yes, and she was the best actress in Ashford Academy's drama club." her expression then turned serious. "Now, as we are both pressed for time, might I suggest we continue?"

"Certainly." Diethard agreed with a nod.

With that, Milly reached into her purse and pulled out a datapad, quickly handing it to Diethard. "Almost everything you requested is in there." Milly explained. "Schematics on Britannia's newest weapons, the latest deployments in Russia and Western Europe, production figures from Britannic and Northrum, and much, much more." she then tapped the datapad. "And don't worry, we have backup files on the Underground's servers. So long as you copy the access codes from this, as well as provide a sample for a DNA trace, you'll be able to access them."

"And Erebor?" Diethard inquired. Erebor was the codename for the secret Britannian sakuradite source that Zero had theorized months ago, fittingly named after the Lonely Mountain itself. Up to this point there had been no progress in it discovery, though it still remained a primary objective for the Black Knights.

Milly shook her head. "I did say _almost_ everything didn't I?" she sighed. "I've used almost every asset in the military and scientific communities, _and_ looked into every major corporation that utilizes sakuradite for production, and still there aren't any leads. For all accounts and purposes, Erebor doesn't exist."

"With respect Your Grace, Zero believes otherwise." Diethard replied cryptically. "Are you sure the Underground wasn't able to find anything?"

That caused a thought to occur in the back of Milly's mind. "There is one curious thing we've taken notice of." she said. Retaking the datapad, the Duchess quickly tapped a few keys, bringing up a digital map of Central Britannia (Area 3) on the pad screen, which displayed several arrow markings pointing to a central location. She quickly handed it back to Diethard. "We've traced several massive sakuradite shipments being made to New Wessex as of late."

Diethard raised an eyebrow. He could tell right away that wasn't Erebor, since the shipments were _going to_ instead of _coming from_ New Wessex, but the figures still made it worth looking into. "What do we know about New Wessex, besides the obvious?"

Milly gestured to the center point on the map. "This marked area falls under the ownership of the Toromo Corporation. They recently discovered a meteor crater there, which they've designated Judecca, and have since established a facility there."

Now Diethard was truly curious. "What kind of facility?"

"The official story claims it as a mining facility." she said with a smirk. "Apparently the crater is rich with titanium and other rare metal deposits." she stated in an ironic tone of voice, knowing that Diethard would pick up on the underlying message.

Indeed, Diethard was quick to match with a smirk of his own. "Interesting." he said as he looked at the markings again. It was obviously a cover story, and a flimsy one at that; first, New Wessex held little in the way of natural resources, and so there would have been little reason to have a mine there. Second, even if sakuradite were actually utilized in the mining of lesser resources, which it wasn't, the displayed shipment figures were well beyond that of a simple mining operation. And finally, the 'mining operation' cover story was a well practiced public relations tactic, which private and government entities often used to shield their rural centers; it was the best way to explain the massive industrialization of the area, and so long as they didn't spoil the surrounding nature, mining plants had a positive reputation for aiding local economy, thus ensuring that the neighboring populaces would accept its presence.

Placed all together, and there could only be one glaring conclusion: there was something very big happening around Judecca Crater. Big enough that Toromo and its backers wanted it kept out of the public eye as much as possible.

As such, it was a shame that Diethard couldn't follow up on it right away, since he was preoccupied with the events in Eurasia at this time. Besides, he didn't have any agents in position at the moment, and it was a good guess that the Underground didn't either. Still, it was something to remember for the future. "Be sure to forward my personal thanks to your agents." Diethard said as he tucked the datapad away into his jacket.

"Of course." Milly replied herself. "Give my regards to Zero as well."

Diethard nodded, thus concluding the meeting. With that, the commander of the Black Knights Intelligence Corps turned and began to make his way out of the square. However, before he could go back into the distance, Milly spoke up again. "Actually, if you don't mind Colonel Reid..." she began. "How is Zero doing these days? We haven't heard anything since Pearl."

Diethard turned back momentarily. At first he wanted to remind her that Zero's status was top secret, but seeing the high interest behind the Duchess' eyes as well as remembering her personal history with the Black Knights' leader, as well as those close to her, he relented a bit. Even he could feel sympathetic at times. "He is doing well. I can't give you any specifics, but right now he's fighting the good fight, like the rest of us."

Milly nodded, feeling relief well up inside of her. It wasn't much, but just knowing Lelouch was okay helped alleviate her own inner turmoil somewhat. After all, she had already lost so many friends in the past eight years. "There are others who would like to hear that as well."

Knowing what the Duchess meant by that statement, the Black Knights' intelligence chief immediately recalled Rivalz Cardemonde and Shirley Fenette, the two remaining students of Ashford's Student Council that remained under Duchess Ashford's employ. Besides the Duchess, they were also the only Underground members who had had their memories restored to them by C.C. "Go ahead and tell them." he shrugged, deciding it was no huge security issue. "I'm sure Zero will appreciate it from our end."

Again Milly nodded, this time a warm smile forming on her lips. "Thank you."

With that, Diethard took his leave. "Stay safe, Your Grace." he said, as he walked off, waving her off as he disappeared into the distance.

Not long after, Milly herself began to walk back to where her limousine was parked. It took a few minutes, but she reached it soon enough. When she did, she found the chauffeur, a different man from her usual driver Roberto, leaning against the driver's side and looking over the latest _Penthouse_. Sighing inwardly at the display, she finally spoke up. "Was I gone for that long? Or is your libido really that uncontrollable?"

"For your information, I'm trying to look casual, though that's almost impossible given our surroundings." Rivalz said as he tucked the magazine away, looking back at the Duchess with sardonic eyes as he gestured toward their less than glamorous surroundings. "Really Milly, couldn't we have arranged this at Hyde Park?"

Milly flashed a narrowed glance in turn. "That's 'Your Grace', 'Your Ladyship' or 'Duchess' to you, Benjamin." she emphasized Rivalz's cover name extensively. "If you want to tag along on these expeditions, then you must act your role."

"Right right." Rivalz said as he stomped back to the rear door and opened it, allowing Milly to enter in. After securing the door, he quickly returned to the limo's front and got in the driver's side. "So, how was the meeting with Colonel Spooky?"

The Duchess leaned back as she considered Rivalz's nickname; indeed, for all his projected charm, Colonel Reid had a disturbing and distrustful presence about him. However, that was unimportant at the present time. "I passed along the data, and also mentioned Judecca. He seemed interested in the latter, though it will take time for him to follow on it."

Rivalz nodded, figuring that would be the case. He himself wished Ashford had someone inside Toromo, but the corporation had only just recently appeared on their radar and it usually took several months to put one of their own in place. As such, both he and Milly could only hope the former Computer Club members, who now served as the Underground's clandestine hacker squad, would be able to break into Toromo's servers and figure out what was going on.

As he started the car and began their drive back to the hotel, Rivalz then brought up the million pound question. "I don't suppose he said anything about Lelouch."

Milly sighed as she looked out the window, toward the deserted, battle scarred streets of London. "Nothing specific." she answered. "Though he did hint that Lelouch is conducting his latest scheme, whatever it is."

Rivalz chuckled at a thought. "Maybe he's chasing another cat around Naha."

The memory caused Milly to laugh as well. That had definitely been one of the more interesting days at Ashford Academy, and it only became more so later on, when they learned of the _true_ reason behind it. "You'd think he'd learn to keep track of his masks by now."

"Heh." Rivalz answered before adding onto it. "Could you imagine it? Him sending the Black Knights out on a Cat Hunt, complete with knightmare and airship support?"

Now Milly was in near hysterics. "And the prize being a kiss from Kallen?" the resulting laughter was as jovial as it was pleasant, directly contrasting both the present setting and the world they both lived in. Such was the memory of happier times.

When the laughter died down, Rivalz continued to look on ahead. "Ah well, we'll probably figure it out when the dust settles." he said reassuringly. "He'll be alright Milly."

Milly smiled flatly, pretending to be reassured. "I know." she said, before turning to look back out the window. _Really Lelouch, just what kind of cat are you chasing now?_

* * *

**Vermillion Forbidden Palace  
Luoyang Settlement, Area 22 (China), Holy Britannian Empire  
July 4, 2025 a.t.b.**

"I'm sorry sir, but your names are not on the guest list." the bespectacled, clearly overworked doorman stated as he looked from his guest list up to the man in front of him. "In fact, there is no mention of 'Ashford' anywhere on this list."

"It's alright. Everything is perfectly fine." replied the relatively imposing Britannian man in a velvet smooth tone. For some reason that the doorman couldn't fathom, the man looked completely unaffected by the rejection. "You can let us in regardless."

The doorman took a breath. This was going to be a long night for him. "No sir, it's _not_ fine. You can't..."

_"I said..."_ the man interrupted while closing his eyes. _"Everything is perfectly fine."_ he stated as he opened his eyes again, the left eye now emitting a mysterious red glow. _"You can let us in regardless."_

The doorman could only watch as, just as he was able to open his mouth again, a glowing bird-shaped emblem took flight and flew directly into him. A moment later, two glowing rings appeared around his irises while a disturbed looking smile appeared on his lips. _"Yes sir. Everything is perfectly fine."_ the doorman repeated happily. _"I can let you in regardless."_

"Good. In that case we will go right in." Lelouch said with a smile of his own. With that accomplished, he and Kallen walked past the doorman and entered the front entrance to the Vermillion Forbidden Palace, the original residence of the Chinese Federal Chairmanship and before that the various Emperors of the Qing and Ming Dynasties.

As they came up to the central staircase that ascended to the main hall, they removed their coats and passed them on to nearby attendants. As soon as the attendants disappeared and the two started walking up the long flight of stairs, arm in arm for the sake of appearances, Kallen looked back toward Lelouch. "You know you could have Geassed him right away." she minutely admonished. "It would have saved us some time."

"What, can't I have some fun?" Lelouch retorted, looking far more ready to enjoy the night than he should have. "After all, that was the first time I used my Geass in eight years. I wanted to make sure I haven't lost my skill."

"Skill in what? Giving commands? Or emitting some kind of evil love beam?" Kallen shot back in turn, causing the latter to roll his eyes at the reference. "Either way, we're still on a mission deep within enemy territory, so we can't afford to stand out too much."

Lelouch chuckled. "Relax. This isn't anything either of us have never done before." upon reaching the midway point on the staircase, he stopped and had them separate for a moment. "Still, I must warn you to watch what you say here, as there are ears everywhere. And I'm not just talking the other guests."

Kallen sighed. "MI6?"

"Indeed." Lelouch confirmed, then smiling darkly. "As well as Dai Li."

"Great. Just who I want to spend my evening with." Kallen snarled as the name of China's leftover secret police was brought up. As if Britannian spies weren't enough.

"The feeling is mutual, but it must be done all the same." Lelouch answered, before turning serious. "Remember, the most important thing is to track everyone on the list." he referred to the list that he had Kallen memorize and then destroy before coming here. "If I cannot get their attention, then you will have to direct them toward me. We cannot leave the party until they are under my Geass' spell."

"And what if any of them leave before us?" Kallen asked.

"They will not, at least not before the party's end." Lelouch replied. "To do so would be considered an insult to their hosts, and we both know how _they_ repay insults."

Kallen felt a chill rundown her spine at that notion. Even so, after taking a breath, she readied herself. "Anything else you want to tell me?"

"Yes, one more thing..." Lelouch started as he offered his arm again. "No matter what happens, I love you."

Kallen felt her heart skip a beat at that statement, such that she just barely kept herself from tripping over her own astonishment. _"What?"_ she was just able to let out.

Lelouch resisted the urge to sigh. "Because we're married."

It took Kallen a few moments to recall that they were posing as a married couple for this venture. "Oh, right..." Kallen stammered, taking his arm once more while trying to ignore the weight in her stomach. If Lelouch picked up on her inner turmoil, he didn't show it.

Soon enough they reached the top, and immediately the Chinese porter turned to face them. "Can I help you?" he asked, clearly unsure of the couple. It was then Lelouch realized he forgot to have the doorman radio their entry to the porter, which was standard procedure.

Even so, Lelouch smirked as his left eye again flashed red. _"We are the Lord and Lady Rochester."_ he stated, Geass in full effect. _"Would you kindly announce our arrival and let us in?"_

Immediately the glowing rings appeared in the porter's eyes. _"Yes, my Lord."_ he replied, dutiful as one would expect.

The porter then turned to face the hall. "Announcing the arrival of The Right Honourable, The Lord and Lady Rochester!" he called out, before bowing and stepping away to allow the couple through. As such, Lelouch and Kallen, or more precisely Daniel Ashford and Maria Stadtfeld-Ashford, 29th Baron and Baroness of Rochester, entered the main hall.

The hall was more or less how they expected it to be; in fact, Lelouch was quick to notice how similarly arranged it was to Tianzi's wedding banquet seven years ago. Whole food tables which held both traditional Britannian and Chinese cuisine were lined up down the middle, on either sides of the orange and red pathway while seating tables placed at synchronized intervals throughout the rest of the space; naturally, the hosts' table was placed at the end of the pathway on a heightened platform, where the eight Eunuchs could all sit and look over their guests like gods above their mortal subjects. Various nobles and other higher ups stood around the hall, all dressed in regal Britannian/Chinese garb or military uniforms to fit the occasion, speaking on subjects such as efforts to colonize and modernize Area 22, the various going-ons of the Imperial Court back home and the latest events of the war. A traditional Britannian party in the making, even with all the native Area 22 themes adapted to it; indeed, it wasn't anything either of them had not done before.

As one would expect, both Lelouch and Kallen looked as different from their true selves as their names represented. Since Lelouch's cover was a scion of the Ashford family, he had dyed his hair blonde for the occasion, while the digital face mask he wore bore a striking resemblance to Milly's, complete with blue eyes, infectious smile, and the left eye lens modified to either suppress or project his Geass. Accompanying that image was a crisp tuxedo with black bow tie, which was less fanciful than most of the nobility around him were wearing, but otherwise fit the evening. Inside his jacket, he kept his standard Browning L105A1 and several other items relevant to the mission.

Meanwhile, Kallen's cover was that of a Stadtfeld heiress who had married into the Ashford family, and she naturally went about it distancing herself from her late father's image; after all, it had been through him that she had received her trademark red hair. For that purpose, she had recalled that her grandfather had black hair in his youth, so she adapted that for herself by dyeing her hair in a jet black shade, while her own digital facemask had been modeled after one of her cousins; this included a pair of dark brown eyes (which were as far from her own blue eyes as she could go), accompanying black eyeliner that gave said eyes a fittingly dragon-like quality, and wine colored lipstick across the "mouth" and matching nail polish. For dress, she herself wore a black backless evening gown with embroidered tulle along the top, arranged to intentionally show off a very fair portion of her upper torso, while a pair of black dress shoes and her Luger, which she kept in a thigh holster underneath her skirt, completed the ensemble.

Overall they both looked liked a typical noble couple, which among the present company would be seen and acknowledged one minute and then forgotten the next. Exactly what was needed.

Several minutes went by and the party continued on. Unfortunately, while he and his "wife" made themselves known to several of the guests, Lelouch was still having difficulty tracking their targets, to say nothing of the security layout of the hall. There was just too much activity. "We'll have to spread out." Lelouch said as they continued on through the rounds. "So that we can get a bearing on the targets, as well as the security."

Kallen minutely shook. "For crying out loud..." she muttered as she activated her Geass while keeping up with her apparent husband. "There are fifteen MI6 and twenty-three Dai Li agents in the hall. The MI6 agents are disguised as party guests, while the Dai Li are all waiting staff; if you look close enough, you can identify them by their earpieces. Outside, there are no more than fifty Imperial Army soldiers, all armed with assault rifles."

Lelouch scowled as the information came in. "Didn't I order you _never_ to use your Geass unless it couldn't be avoided?"

"If you get to use yours, then I get to use mine." Kallen replied with unflinching strength, before she had them come to a stop in a certain area of the hall. She then gestured toward a rather plump Britannian in a Army Colonel's uniform, loading his plate at the buffet table. "He's the closest target, and nobody's looking." she then minutely smirked, her Geass fading. "Go get him, _darling_."

The former prince frowned at the last word; Kallen was having more fun with this than she should have. Regardless though, he adapted a game face and walked to the buffet tables. "Colonel Shelby! What a pleasant surprise!" Lelouch started upon approach, quickly gaining the Army officer's attention. "I haven't seen you since the Emperor's Jubilee."

As expected, the Colonel stammered to recall the memory, but kept up the pretense and shook Lelouch's hand when he presented it. "An honor to meet you again, sir..."

"The honor is mine, Colonel." Lelouch replied graciously. "And now that I have your attention..." he said, just as his left eye once more flashed with Geass. _"Could you please follow these instructions?"_ Upon that question, his hand slipped into his jacket pocket and produced an envelope, which had INSTRUCTIONS INSIDE - PUT AWAY AND DO NOT OPEN UNTIL AFTER PARTY written on the outside.

Under the spell of Absolute Obedience, Shelby had no issue taking the envelope from Lelouch's hand and placed it inside his uniform. _"Yes, I will do as it says."_ he said in a hypnotized tone.

"Very good." Lelouch responded with dark satisfaction, letting his Geass die away again. "Once more an honor, Colonel." he said before he wandered off, leaving a baffled Colonel Shelby behind to ponder the occurrence.

* * *

**Xigong Ghetto  
****Luoyang Settlement, Area 22 (China), Holy Britannian Empire  
July 4, 2025 a.t.b.**

While Luoyang, being the one time capital of an economically and politically destitute supernation, was never what one may have considered a "lively" setting, Setsuna had to admit that this was an entirely new level. As he and a fellow member of Iga Squadron, Captain Yukihiro Sanada (Iga Two), walked down the ruined street, he continued to stare out over the wide street through the lenses of his digital facemask. There really was no one outside right now; the whole ghetto was pretty much lifeless, its population tucked away in whatever quarters they had for themselves. This would have left a very foreboding feeling if Setsuna hadn't known why: the universal curfew for the non-Homeland Areas was in effect, and anyone caught outside at this time would likely be arrested or shot on the spot.

This, of course, included himself and his partner, especially when they were currently disguised as elderly Twenty-Twos. But that in itself was the point: they _wanted_ the attention from the local authorities, as it was required for their mission. Thus for the time being they need only continue and wait for the resident bogeymen to appear to detain them, at which point they would reveal themselves as the _bigger_ bogeymen. The anticipation almost made him anxious, but for now at least, he remained patient.

In the meantime, he continued to look over the ghetto around him, which was just as dystopian as one would expect. Nothing but ramshackle buildings, which mostly consisted of communal apartments and warehouses, and broken streets as far as the eye could see, while very trace amounts of light emanated from barely operating lampposts that were scarcely arrayed around the setting. Interestingly, several communist propaganda items remaining lining the walls and buildings, despite the current times; they were mostly posters that promoted the ideals and "successes" of Marxism-Sunism, claimed Tianzi and/or the Chinese Communist Party as "All Knowing" and "Saviors of 'The People'", or denounced the European Union and (ironically in hindsight) Britannia as bourgeois, capitalist and evil. One thing that did stand out, however, was billboard mural that stood over one of the buildings, which depicted Sun Zhongsan looking down from a crimson sky upon several Chinese proletarian types, who in turn looked back up at Sun with pure admiration, while various banners depicting communist and revolutionary emblems waved in the background. A header at the top of the mural read out "All Knowing Father of Our Nation and Engineer of the Human Soul" in Chinese script.

_This really is Oceania._ Setsuna thought as he continued to look over the various image work. What he found curious wasn't the propaganda itself, but rather why they were still intact on the walls; he would have thought either the Britannians or the local Numbers would have torn them down as soon as the first Britannian flags began to wave over the city. The best reasons he could come up with were either the Britannians hadn't gotten around to the task yet, or the Twenty-Twos were too desolate to care. Or both.

However, the object that stood out the most wasn't amongst the posters, the mural or the broken buildings; in fact, it wasn't even present on that street altogether. Rather, it was in the distant background, standing out from the rest of the city skyline like a machination of Stephen King or J.R.R. Tolkien: a hadron cannon tower, one of what he assumed to be dozens spread around the city, set alongside an additional number of missile towers and hyper-velocity cannon towers as well as Blaze Luminous shield projectors along the city perimeter. All of which came together to constitute the Argus defense net.

Setsuna frowned at that, recalling Zero had once claimed Argus was Calares' one stroke of brilliance throughout his service to Britannia; indeed, its conception did seem uncharacteristically brilliant for the viceroy. Essentially an arrangement of automated weapons platforms and shield projectors spread across every key city and installation in Area 22, Argus was perhaps _the_ breakthrough defensive system of the modern world. It could lay waste to entire armies on multiple fronts, as the weapon towers were specifically arranged to cover both the insides and outskirts of each host city. It could repel any form of firepower as well as outright sieges, as the Blaze Luminous it employed were large and powerful enough to encompass Area 22's largest metropolis, which was Luoyang obviously. And above even those, it was controlled by an automation system designed specifically to resist hacking, such that even the Black Knights Intelligence Corps' hacker division wouldn't have been able to access it.

Of course, it also had additional functions, and Setsuna had a feeling Calares had fully intended them when he designed Argus. Similar to the purpose and function of Operation Nero, a particularly zealous Britannian commander could turn Argus upon the cities it was meant to defend, have the weapon towers be used to obliterate the structures and the Blaze Luminous be used to keep the enemy armies, as well as the native populaces, from escaping. In other words, Argus was capable of enacting a Scorched Earth attack that would be second only to the Devastation, though this was obviously a last resort, on the off chance the CLA _did_ actually come close to winning.

_Just like we did._ Setsuna thought as he continued looking up at the tower. All that said though, there was one effective counter to Argus: it was highly susceptible to certain types of jamming and electronic interference. The CLA had used that to their advantage in the past, namely during their most recent offensive in Beijing, as one of their Chawla knightmares was equipped with a specialized ECM system; when activated, it rendered Argus inoperable for a time, but only in the immediate location. Considering that for a moment, Setsuna supposed the system could also be vulnerable to standard Gefjun Disturbers, especially when the Britannians had yet to devise a counter against them. On the other hand, the only way that could work would be to deploy Gefjun missiles en masse; such an attack would certainly disable Argus, but then it would also disable all other electronics in the area, including those belonging to the Black Knights and CLA.

Setsuna inwardly shook his head at the thought. _Zero has his own plan for dealing with Argus. We just have to follow that._ he then paused at the thought. _Heh, listen to me. I'm starting to sound like Sayoko and the other believers._

A sudden flash of light quickly interrupted his thoughts. _"You there!"_ came a hardened call, as the silhouettes of two humans came marching up to meet Setsuna and Yukihiro. "What are you two doing!?"

Setsuna suppressed the urge to grin. _Right on time. Say what you will about the Thought Police, but at least they're punctual._

While the incoming duo were not quite the villains from George Orwell's novel _2024_, which even Setsuna had found strangely captivating as far as Britannian literature went, they were perhaps the closest any institution had come to creating them. These men were members of the former Chinese Federation's Ministry of State Security (MSS), or as it was more infamously known, the Dai Li.

Though the Federation no longer existed and the ideology it represented had well been cast aside, the secret police that had long kept China's _proles_ suppressed had remained, continuing their role as the Eunuch's main enforcement arm when the Britannian forces were either inadequate or unwilling. While Calares' jackboots mostly contended themselves with the CLA and the rest of Area 22's militant factions, it was the Dai Li that maintained the Eunuchs' reign of terror upon the docile, non-rebelling Numbers, both to ensure the status quo and simply because they had the power. This, expectedly, included everything from day to day "disappearances" to lesser ghetto purges to monitoring higher profile officials in the Area; chances were even Calares and other Britannian nobles were kept under their watch. The more things changed the more they stayed the same it seemed.

Soon enough, the two were close enough that Setsuna and his partner could depict them. Both wore standard Dai Li garb, which were dark blue clones of the CLA uniform (a trademark that had earned the MSS an additional nickname amongst its ever fearful wards: the Blue Shirt Society) with commissar caps, black gloves and black armbands that depicted the organization insignia, a downward pointed jian impaling the Chinese Sun over a red oval. The respective rank insignia indicated either as a Second Lieutenant. Alongside those uniforms, both men also wore overly angry and sadistic expressions that one equated to people in their line of work; the kind of expressions one would find on schoolyard bullies and hired muscle. More or less what was expected.

From there, the two ninja slowly turned and entered a nearby building, which appeared to be an abandoned tea shop, while the pursuing Dai Li officials continued after them, calling throughout. They kept walking deeper into the building until one of the officials drew his pistol and fired a bullet right over Setsuna's shoulder. "Don't move!" the shooter glowered.

"We-Ve-Ry-Saw-Wy. We-Dun-Spek-Bri-Taw-Nin." Setsuna replied in a stereotypical caricature of a Chinese accent, complete with broken English and pauses between syllables. _"__Nǐ huì shuō zhōngwén ma__?" _he then asked. _Can you speak in Chinese?_

That last line only served to anger them more, as Twenty-Twos had long been banned from speaking their native tongue. "Put down the bag and turn around!"

They both did as they were told, placing their hand bags on the ground and turning to face the two men. In the face of their deathly gazes, Setsuna smiled, revealing a mouth of mismatched teeth (he had included a set of costume dentures with his ensemble) while Yukihiro remained facially inert. "We-Jus-Ol-Man. We-Har-les."

The two officers quickly sported vicious looking smiles; clearly they also thought the two "old men" were harmless. "You both know you're not supposed to during curfew." the one with the pistol said as he put away his gun. "Perhaps you're too senile to figure that out."

The other one cracked his knuckles. "Or perhaps you're both CLA traitors about to sabotage something."

_Aren't you bastards classic._ Setsuna thought dryly, maintaining the act. "We-Nawt-See-El-Aa. We-Go-Hoam."

"Maybe you are, maybe you're not. You're not going home until we know for sure." the first one stepped forward, until he was looming over the apparent old men. "You shouldn't have stayed out, you old shits."

It was at that point Yukihiro finally spoke up. _"And you should have stayed away, Blue Shirt."_ he said in straight forward monotone.

At that, the Dai Lis' viciousness disappeared and was replaced with uncertain shock. Simultaneously, kunai slipped down from the two shinobis' sleeves and into their hands, to which they applied with deadly force; Setsuna slashed the throat of the officer in front of them while Yukihiro threw his directly between the eyes of the second, who had only just begun to draw for his gun. Both secret policeman were dead before their bodies hit the ground, and long before they could ever realize what was happening.

For a moment, Setsuna looked down at the corpses with something akin to disappointment in his voice. "Well...that was anti-climatic." he said, just as he slipped off his facemask, wig and false teeth.

Yukihiro removed his mask and wig as well, revealing his unkept jet black hair and piercing red eyes. Whereas Setsuna was aloof and easy going, it was apparent Yukihiro was the serious type. "It's to be expected Major." he replied to his squad leader's assessment. "Secret police are meant to keep those without power in line; they're bullies, not warriors."

"I know. But you'd think after all the things we've heard about the Chinese Federation's 'great' MSS, they'd put up more of a fight than that." Setsuna said, sighing a little. "Especially with a nickname like 'the Dai Li.'"

Yukihiro stifled a sigh himself; sometimes he wished that his friend/superior and current heir to the Shinozaki name would be more serious. Unfortunately, Yukihiro had known Setsuna since they were infants, as the Sanada family were the traditional retainers of the Shinozakis as well as their direct subordinates in their _ninjutsu_ school, and throughout that entire span of time he had only seen Hanzo Shinozaki's eldest child be serious on very few subjects. Even so, that had no bearing on the current setting. "Let's continue regardless." he said simply.

Quickly, both stripped off their "old men" garb, revealing the Dai Li uniforms that they wore underneath, then taking the accompanying commissar caps and black gloves from their handbags. Following this, they then placed their respective facemasks on either of the corpses, from which the digital masks began to alter themselves after their new hosts; during the process, both Setsuna and Yukihiro went through their respective corpse, retrieving their dogtags and personal possessions. Once that was accomplished, they stripped off the Dai Li officials' black gloves and then placed their hands against their respective corpses'; from this, the digital palm and fingerprint covers they had on their own hands altered themselves to match that of the dead Chinese. They then placed their own gloves on, but not before either altered their hair to also match that of the Dai Li officials.

Minutes later, the facemasks finished altering themselves, from which both ninja stripped them off and placed them back on their own faces. Instead of the masks being shaped after the faces of old men, they were now perfect matches of the former Dai Li officials, making Setsuna and Yukihiro perfect twins to the men they had just killed.

From there, Setsuna reached up at took a look at his new dogtags, while noting amusingly how the Dai Li still used old fashioned metal plate tags instead of modern electronic ones. The datedness of Chinese technology continued to amaze him. "I'm Second Lieutenant Song Feng." he said, now speaking in the voice of his deceased victim. "You?"

"Second Lieutenant Lo Pan." Yukihiro confirmed after looking at his own tags. He too now had the voice of his respective character.

That struck Setsuna with peculiarity. "Lo Pan..." he repeated. "Sounds like the name of some cheesy movie villain."

Yukihiro shrugged. "I wouldn't know." he replied, before looking at his watch. "We have twenty minutes to meet with the others. Assuming that they succeeded on their own ends."

"They'll be there." Setsuna reassured. He had all the faith in the world in his unit.

Yukihiro nodded in turn, before reaching back into his handbag and withdrawing a disc shaped device. After tapping the arming switch on top of it, he placed it on the ground between the two corpses and their shed "old man" disguises.

With that done, both ninja moved toward the door, but not before Setsuna looked back at the two corpses one last time, his smirk ever present. _"__Bù qǐchuáng jiābīn. __Wǒmen jiāng ràng zìjǐ__."_ he said in a mockingly mannered tone. _Don't get up gentlemen. We'll let ourselves out._

No more than thirty seconds after the two members of Iga Squadron exited, the disc began emitting a purple colored gas, bathing the entire room, as well as the aforementioned corpses and items, with a thick and otherwise pungent mist. As soon as its internal sensors registered that the immediate area was suitably covered, it then set off a single spark, igniting the chemical and setting off a bright and instantaneous flash that momentarily lit up the entire building. Afterward, all that remained of the corpses and any of the left behind items were ashes, thus ensuring that the Black Knights' presence in China was, once again, completely erased.

* * *

**Black Knights air battleship **_**Ikaruga**_**  
Xiaopei Fortress, Duchy of Jiangsu, Area 22 (China), Holy Britannian Empire  
July 4, 2025 a.t.b.**

Although he was not a man known for his vices, it was something of an open secret that Kyoshiro Tohdoh was a lover of classical literature. When he was not attending to his duties as Field Commander of the Black Knights, honing his renowned fighting skills or putting up with the antics of the Four Holy Swords, he enjoyed nothing more than sitting back and reading a book from a past age. There was just something about reading upon the words of men and women who lived decades, if not centuries ago, during periods both abstract and alien from the modern world. Something that both entertained Tohdoh and sated his never-ending desire for knowledge.

Tonight, sitting upon the bed of his personal quarters, bathed within silence and dim lighting, the story Tohdoh was reading was _The Three Musketeers_ by Alexandre Dumas. He had only begun reading it just a little while ago, specifically after Pearl Harbor, and had not been able to put it down since. It was only natural he supposed; the story was written with several of his favorite themes, namely war, honor, duty, tradition and loyalty. The characters were realistically and intriguingly written, each one holding a unique and definable personality alongside motivations entirely separate from the others, yet still contributed to the main story. The plot tended to jump around through different events, both fictional and historical, but much like with the characters, they all came together effectively enough. And the writing itself was nothing short of spectacular; the words flowed with certain grace and eloquence, such that they could be translated into Japanese and still elicit the same feeling upon the reader.

Overall, Dumas might not have been the best French writer of all time, a title that Tohdoh felt belonged to the great Victor Hugo, but his most famous novel was indeed a true epic.

_D'Artagnan, who was accustomed to his friend's manner of acting, and who perceived immediately, by a word, a gesture, or a sign from him, that the circumstances were serious, took Athos's arm, and went out without saying anything. Porthos followed, chatting with Aramis._

_On their way they met Grimaud. Athos made him a sign to come with them. Grimaud, according to custom, obeyed in silence; the poor lad had nearly come to the pass of forgetting how to speak._

_They arrived at the drinking room of the Parpaillot. It was seven o'clock in the morning, and daylight began to appear. The three friends ordered breakfast, and went into a room in which the host said they would not be disturbed._

_Unfortunately, the hour was badly chosen for a private conference. The morning drum had just been beaten; everyone shook off the drowsiness of night, and to dispel the humid morning air, came to take a drop at the inn. Dragoons, Swiss, Guardsmen, Musketeers, light-horsemen, succeeded one another with a rapidity which might answer the purpose of the host very well, but agreed badly with the views of the four friends. Thus they applied very curtly to the salutations, healths, and jokes of their companions._

Tohdoh's line of reading was interrupted by the knock at his door. He sighed, as he really didn't wish to be disturbed at this hour. At the same time however, his position as Field Commander meant he was on twenty-four hour call. "Enter."

The door quickly shifted open to reveal Chiba, who quickly stepped in. Tohdoh felt his gut clench as his most loyal – as well as his most troublesome – subordinate came to stand in front of him and saluted. "General." she started. "I would like your opinion."

Resisting the urge to sigh again, Tohdoh put down the book and looked back up. "Yes?" he awaited.

At meeting his eyes, Chiba instantly looked away. "Sir..." she started, reorienting herself. "...I know the Chinese are fierce warriors..." She then managed to look back. "...but do you really think that they'll have a chance against the Britannians?"

Tohdoh considered that. "I take it your squadron has been doing simulation drills with them." One of the conditions Zero had made with Tianzi was that the Black Knights be able to run battle simulations with the CLA, in an effort to establish a cooperative spirit between the two armies.

"Yes, sir. And I must say I'm _not_ impressed with what I see." she replied, frustration evident. "I'll admit the Chinese have drive, and they're highly disciplined, but they possess virtually no individual skill and their tactics are completely inadequate on the modern battlefield."

The general took that in. "That is all to be expected, Chiba." Tohdoh answered. "The CLA is not built like most professional armies. They are trained to completely adhere to the chain of command, as well as to function as a single cohesive unit when in battle; as such, their individual troops are lacking fighters, and they cannot effectively function without direct guidance from the higher echelons."

Tohdoh's eyes narrowed for emphasis. "On the other hand, that cohesion and adherence to command makes them an effective force under a skilled commander like Xingke, such that it almost balances out their weaknesses. Their survival for the last seven years is testament to that."

Despite that explanation, Chiba looked far from convinced. "With all due respect, sir." she repeated. "_Surviving_ is not the same as _winning_."

"No, but it's not _losing,_ either." Tohdoh replied. "As long as the army and the will to fight live on, then so too does the potential for victory." Certain bitterness appeared in his eyes as a certain memory came up. "You and I can both attest to that fact, as we also spent seven years surviving our war."

Chiba had no trouble understanding Tohdoh's indirect reference, causing bitterness to rise up in her as well. "Are you saying the CLA is no different from the Japan Liberation Front?" she asked, sounding as if she had been insulted.

"In a way, yes." Tohdoh considered. "Though we obviously had better troops and higher-end equipment, and we could conduct ourselves on the battlefield far more effectively, we still ended up fighting the same war that the CLA is fighting now."

Chiba frowned at that. "That's not exactly reassuring, sir." she admonished. "As you said, for all that we had going for us during the Insurrection, we still never struck a decisive blow against the Britannians until Zero took control of things."

"And now the CLA has reached that point, as _we're_ here to take control of things." Tohdoh answered. "So to answer your question, I admit I have my own doubts about the CLA's effectiveness." he said, quickly continuing before Chiba could reply. "That being said however, I have all the faith in the world in _our_ army, as well as the belief that we will win this battle, as we did Pearl Harbor." He then looked her straight in the eye. "Both matter more to me than anything I may think about our second rate allies."

The junior officer was quick to understand the underlying message. "Yes, sir." she replied stiffly.

Tohdoh nodded in acknowledgment. "Is that all you wished to speak to me on?"

Uneasiness flickered across Chiba's eyes before she answered again. "Yes, sir," she repeated, this time in a more shaken tone.

Disturbance quickly welled up in the General's stomach as a part of him recognized his subordinate's sudden change in mood. He attempted to try and head it off before anything more could develop from it. "Then you're dismissed." he stated plainly, before reaching back for his book.

Chiba looked down at that, such that her hair obscured her eyes. "Once more with all due respect, General..." she said, her voice suddenly taking up a heated tone. _"That was not the only reason I came here."_

Immediately Tohdoh felt his blood freeze as his ears picked up the sound of Chiba's belt being unbuckled, alongside her breathing becoming heavier. He purposely kept his eyes glued onto his book, such that they now picked up and emphasized each word individually, but that did nothing to keep down the beating of his heart and the sudden rising level of heat, much less Chiba's continued movements. In the end, he knew there was nothing he could do to keep the sounds and feelings from running their course, much less keep his body from reacting to them.

His ears soon picked upon his subordinate kicking off her boots, before moving to undo her uniform pants, which dropped to the ground in a bunch, which she minutely stepped out of. Her jacket quickly followed, as she smoothly undid the seal that ran along its right side and then slanted center until reaching her neck; she pulled it off of herself, its fall signaled by the ding of her belt buckle against the cold metal floor. And then, seemingly at long last, he heard the sound of a bra being unclasped and dropped, followed by the minute sagging of panties being pulled down a pair of legs, which were also soon discarded; this was soon followed by the sound of Chiba's foot stamping lightly back down on the floor signaling that she had finished. Her breathing only grew heavier throughout.

Several more moments passed, with silence and uneasiness filling the room like a flood. In spite of his full knowledge of what was happening, Tohdoh still refused to look up, but that in itself did not matter, as his other senses were working against him in over time. He could literally feel the heat of Chiba's naked body from the other end of his bed, alongside the heat of her unbridled gaze. His ears continued to pick upon her heavy breathing, with each pant quickening his heartbeat ever further. And even more, his nose was quick to pick upon Chiba's heady scent, which cumulated as jasmines and orchids mixed with heat and metal; the unmistakable scent of a warrior woman.

He continued to look toward his book, even as he felt his bed shift from Chiba slowly coming over it, her knee falling upon the end first, then followed by her hands and her other knee. He said nothing, even as he felt Chiba slowly crawl up to him, the heat of her body now in close proximity of his own skin; it didn't help that he was completely bare on top, with his current attire being a pair of sweatpants. And despite his best efforts, he remained motionless as Chiba slowly maneuvered the book away from his eyes and toward his side, such that they were now staring straight into her sultry browns. From there, the very next thing Tohdoh felt was the feeling of her lips pressed against his, alongside her breasts pressed against his broadened chest.

For a few more moments, his mind only became hazier, as Chiba continued to drive the kiss, using it to bring herself closer to Tohdoh, such that her entire body became pressed against his own. During that time span, the general could only instinctively reply in kind, bringing his own arms up around her if only out of reaction, pressing Chiba even further to himself. As such, it was only when he felt Chiba's hand slowly move down to his pants and stroke him between the legs did he quickly remember what was going on. Thus, he managed to work up enough internal willpower to push her away.

"Enough, Chiba!" he unintentionally barked as he did, pushing Chiba just far enough that she was not in direct contact with his skin any more, but still close.

Chiba recoiled from the intensity in Tohdoh's voice, shock entering her eyes. "I don't understand..." she spoke in almost a whimper, looking more like a child on the verge of tears rather than a fully grown woman. "...did I do something wrong?"

Upon seeing that look, Tohdoh calmed down a little, but still kept up a displeased image. "It's..." he started, looking to the side before sighing. "Tonight's just not a good night, Chiba." he stated flatly.

That response only served to distraught Chiba further. "But sir..." she replied, again her manner more childlike than one could ever believe. "We don't know what will happen in the next few days. I thought..." she stammered. "...I thought now was the best time to..."

In response to that, Tohdoh felt a fissure run down his cold exterior. "You did nothing wrong. I just need time to myself for right now."

That seemed to alleviate Chiba a little bit, though she still remained uneasy. "If that's the case..." she replied. "...perhaps I could come back later tonight?"

Immediately Tohdoh wanted to say 'no'; going entirely against the needs of his body, he wanted to tell her not to come back at all, that there was nothing to be gained in such action for either of them. However, as had been with so many other times he had tried to tell her, he was quickly stopped by the fragility in her eyes; the same emotional fragility he had seen for fifteen years. And just like all those previous occasions, he felt himself halting his own command while whatever coldness he held in his heart slowly died away, replaced with care, concern and certain fear.

Slowly, he managed to reorient himself just enough, ignoring the heat of both his body and hers long enough to give her the answer she sought. "Yes, that will work." he replied, drowning out the rational part of his mind, which was crying for him to reconsider. "I promise I won't need much time."

Chiba nodded at that, relief finally dawning from her eyes. "Thank you, sir." she replied, before slowly backing off the bed.

The next several moments were once more spent in silence, only this time with Chiba putting her clothes back on. For that entire span, Tohdoh kept up his cold exterior, even when underneath he only felt physical remorse at the loss of heat. He inwardly sneered at that, wishing that he felt nothing at all. Just as he wished he could say what truly needed to be said, despite Chiba's feelings and his care for her.

Soon enough, Chiba was back in uniform. As such, she quickly turned and saluted, though her eyes remained somewhat downtrodden. She then quietly made her exit, once more leaving Tohdoh alone in his quarters.

This time however, Tohdoh did not move to pick up _The Three Musketeers_. Instead, he slowly turned out the light and laid back, letting his thoughts drift, a vain attempt to force what had just happened out of his mind. Unfortunately it was a futile endeavor; he could not keep himself from feeling the same condemnation that had remained with him for over a decade, the same hatred he felt toward himself for what he had done so long ago. Nor could he keep the memories, the _damning_ memories of his greatest sin, out of his mind's eye.

As such, he slowly felt himself back in time to fifteen years ago, where he once again found himself along the slopes of Itsukushima...

* * *

"Damn it Rai, your sense of direction sucks!" Alfred growled in (mock) frustration. "I thought you had this place mapped out."

For his part, Rai only chuckled at his friend's demeanor. "I said I had a rough idea of how Xiaopei was lined out. _Rough_, as in general, but not perfect." he clarified. "Really, why do you think I wanted to go exploring in the first place?"

Perched on his shoulder, Andreas let out a shrill cry in response to Rai's claim. "Exactly what I was thinking." Alfred followed up with as he continued to walk along. "We really should have stayed aboard the _Ikaruga_."

"Well, I guess that's a positive, as you're both only now regretting accompanying me." Rai retorted, seemingly not at all bothered at their predicament. For him, it was all part of the adventure, and it wasn't like the Chinese wanted to hinder them. At least, not so far.

In truth, both of them knew they were being tracked, though they had yet to confront their pursuers. Also in truth, they already had a decent layout of Xiaopei, as the _Ikaruga_'s Druid System had scanned the interior upon entry and laid out a map of the entire fortress, which was then transferred to individual datapads for each of the Black Knights. As such, it was all part of the show they were throwing, until they could reach the specific open area they were heading toward.

It had all started several minutes ago, when Rai, Alfred and Andreas had indeed left the _Ikaruga_ to do some exploring around Xiaopei; several of the other Black Knights had also gotten off the ship, and outside some specified areas of the fortress which were highlighted on the map, the Chinese held virtually no concern toward their "allies" moving about their sanctum. For a period of time the trio were given free reign toward walking around the fortress, with only the threatening glances of passing CLA soldiers indicating that they were still not entirely welcome amongst the Chinese. But then, just as they had exited one of the mess halls, where they had been treated to an "authentic" Chinese meal (or so the chef had claimed with a following snicker), both pilots soon realized that they were no longer alone; there were at least two behind them, and though they kept to the shadows, their hostile intent was more than detectable for veteran warriors such as them. Since that point, they wandered aimlessly around Xiaopei to see if their pursuers would keep up, which they had, thus necessitating that they confront them directly.

Soon enough, they arrived to a wide open section of Xiaopei, which looked to be one of the supply caches. As they had expected from their maps before, it was largely empty, with only a few supply bins placed around them while illumination came from a series of ceiling lights. But more importantly, it was well out of the way of the regular routes, ensuring that the rest of the fortress would be undisturbed by the events set to occur. Thus, after taking several steps into the area, both Rai and Alfred came to a stop. In turn, Andreas turned around and let out another call, aimed directly toward the shadows behind them.

"You can come out now." Alfred started a minute, but challenging tone, which accompanied Andreas' call well enough. "There's no point in remaining hidden when your quarry is aware of your presence."

"Though we are impressed." Rai joined in as well. "Outside of our Shinobi Corps, there aren't many who can remain so effectively covert." he then added with a smirk. "Especially in those flashy gold uniforms."

They were quickly greeted by the sound of venomous laughter, both that of a boy and a girl. Sure enough, the two stepped out of the entryway and into the open, their gold CLA uniforms immediately defining themselves and their wearers under the light. "_You're_ impressed...?" the female repeated as she and her comrade stared down the two Black Knight officers with beastly intent. "On the contrary, it is _we_ who should be impressed..."

She then added with her own smirk. _"That you didn't sense us sooner."_

"Indeed. We projected ourselves to such an extent, a child could have sensed our approach." the male said as well, who held the same predatory gaze as his twin. "For people that fashion themselves as 'knights', you are lacking warriors."

Despite the fact they were seemingly cornered, neither Rai nor Alfred seemed deterred. "So this is the famous Tianshou Team..." Rai said, looking over the gold uniforms again. "Followers of Xingke, protectors of Tianzi, so-called Heavenly Beasts."

"Correct, Major." the female acknowledged, before proceeding with an overly dramatic bow. "I'm Captain Yu Yin, Tianshou Three. And beside me is my brother Captain Yu Bai, Tianshou Two."

"Charmed." Bai stated in turn, the expression on his face being anything but. He then looked toward Alfred. "That's what you Britannians say when attempting to be courteous, right Mr. Glaston?"

Alfred looked nonplussed at that, already wishing he had his sidearm with him. Unfortunately, one of the conditions for the Black Knights' free passage into Xiaopei was that they could only do so unarmed. "I don't suppose you've been following us for our autographs."

Bai chuckled non-amusedly response. "Ah, there's that famous Britannian dry wit. We've come to know it well these last seven years." he stated, just as a flash of vehemence appeared in his eyes. "Among several other of your cultural contributions."

Again Andreas let out a call, this one sounding far more threatening than before. Rai followed up on that himself. "Captain Darlton is no longer part of the Imperial Army. And when he was, he never took action against you or your countrymen." he pointed out, an edge in his own tone. "Repaying Britannia's crimes on him would be meaningless."

Yin sniffed at that. "As much as we wouldn't mind killing the last son of Andreas Darlton, that is not our purpose here."  
**  
**Even so, Alfred didn't relax yet, even signaling Andreas to take off and find a perch. "Then what is it you want?" he spoke, after Andreas took flight.

It was then Bai grinned viciously. "Well, to put it simply, we've heard many stories about the so-called Blue Thunder God and Zero Squadron..."

A grin that Yin was quick to match. "...and we want to see if you live up to the legends."

The two twins charged at them with blinding speed, covering the distance between them in a fast sprint. Bai leaped up in the air, bringing his leg down on Rai's head with a vicious axe kick as Yin's foot swept out in a low kick that could have easily snapped Alfred's knee.

Rai's forearms shot up to block the descending blow with a crossed guard, but even then he staggered back with a hiss of pain at the harsh impact. That kick alone told him all he needed to know about his opponent, and how different he was from the average Chinese. Only a follower of Xingke could induce such a powerful kick and cause that amount of pain in one strike.

His opponent tried a kick to his jaw, but Rai caught his heel and twisted. Bai turned in mid-air with the blow to avoid getting his ankle broken, from which he tried to catch Rai with his opposite foot. However, Rai was quicker, as he managed to push the Chinese away, to which the latter landed in a handstand and flipping into a crouch, eyeing the white-haired Black Knight with renewed wariness.

At the same time, Rai heard a meaty thwack and then saw Yin stumble away in his peripheral vision. Alfred had assumed a loose boxer's stance, jumping on the balls of his feet, grinning widely. It was at that point Rai dimly remembered that fist fighting was a popular pastime in His Imperial Majesty's Army.

"Really, is that all you two got?" the Britannian taunted, loosening his collar. "For elites, you sure haven't impressed us yet!"

Yin turned her head back towards them, rubbing the back of her hand across the corner of her mouth. It came away red. Meanwhile, Bai crouched in a low stance, with his leg outstretched and his arms raised, wary and guarded. Rai instantly recognized the style as Northern Shaolin, though he didn't know which branch.

Yin examined the blood on her hand and exchanged a look with her brother, before both turned their heads to face them in an unnervingly snake-like manner. And then they both grinned.

"Not bad." Yin said, teeth flashing. "Not bad at all."

"You might just be worth our attention yet!" Bai hissed. With that, both siblings again charged.

As if seeking reprisal for the blood in her mouth, Yin unleashed a brutal yet elegant butterfly kick that would have caught Alfred in the head, only for the former Glaston to duck under it. Even so, Yin maintained the offense, unleashing three punches at Alfred's head and torso, and then following them up with a snap kick at his side. Alfred managed to block or evade these, but it still took him a fair amount of effort to do so, such that when he finally managed to exploit and opening and throw another punch, Yin easily evaded it, and then instantly counterattacked.

Some distance away, Rai wasn't doing much better with his opponent, as Bai was now sending a flurry of punches at him. Moving fluidly, Rai evaded each of them, then knocked one of the punches away so that he could perform a spinning hammer kick. However, Bai banked to the side to evade, and then deflected a following high kick by unleashing his own. The counterattack came immediately, with Bai striking Rai in the chest with a palm thrust, knocking him back and causing him to violently cough from the shock to his lungs. Bai followed that up with a spin kick that smashed into the Black Knight pilot's side, sending him sliding against the floor. However, that wasn't enough to finish Rai, who quickly flipped out of the way just as Bai attempted another axe kick, which landed on the ground so hard it left an indentation.

At that very moment, Yin sent a kick straight into Alfred's stomach, causing him to stumble back and hunch over and cough blood himself. Relishing that sight, as she finally repaid blood for blood, Yin went leaped into the air, went into a lateral spin and then used the momentum to execute a drop kick that would have smashed the back of Alfred's skull. Only a sidestep saved Alfred, who in turn executed a takedown, lifting Yin up over his shoulder and then pile driving her into the ground behind him. When both got up, Alfred again smashed his fist into her right cheek, then threw her against a nearby crate and started unleashing punches into the Chinese fighter's torso.

Meanwhile, Bai continued his offense with a trio of spin kicks, the last of which succeeded in knocking Rai again to the floor. This time however, Rai was prepared, as he unleashed a low sweep kick that knocked Bai down as well, and then leaped up so that he could execute a follow up side kick into the Chinese fighter's face. By some miracle Bai's nose didn't break from the impact; again, General Li's training was shining through his subordinates. As such, not wishing for Bai to regain the offensive, Rai unleashed a hammer punch against the Tianshou's head that sent him stumbling back even further, then continued on with an assortment of singular, power based punches and kicks that only kept the Chinese fighter moving back until he literally hit a wall. At that point, Rai spun him around with yet another punch and then put him in a choke hold.

"Am I worth your attention now?" Rai growled into the Chinese warrior's ear.

To his surprise, Bai hissed out a laughed in response. "Just barely, _fu zha_." he stated. It was then he performed a technique that Rai had only seen in kung fu movies: Bai ran his legs out and up along the wall, using the momentum to flip out of Rai's hold and land right behind him. From there, Bai reversed their earlier positions, sending another palm thrust into Rai's torso and sending the Black Knight against the wall, where Bai unleashed several more punches and kicks in a standard Northern Shaolin all out offense. It only when Rai grabbed his arm in the midst of a punch did that offense end, with Rai then following up with a palm thrust to his own, and then a spinning hook kick that sent Bai flying back.

Having regained the offensive sometime ago, Yin just finished executing a roundhouse that whipped Alfred across the face, then continued with a second roundhouse to form a double kick. For a moment Alfred thought he felt his teeth rattle in his skull; fortunately he didn't see any fly out. When Yin moved to launch a triple kick, Alfred finally ducked under the blow, slipped behind the woman fighter and landed a punch into her back. That sent her forward some distance, enough for Alfred to follow up with a Britannian kickboxing style back kick into the rear of her skull, which sent her flying forward.

Thus, both siblings landed against each other, while their respective opponents moved in to finish them with a respective KO. However, as both Rai and Alfred found out, both Yu siblings were far from finished, as Yin and Bai both leaped up again, deflected the finishing blows, and then responded with synchronized power kicks. Now it was the Black Knights' turn to be sent back, their torsos aching from the latest blows, which were even more damaging than the last had been.

A stalemate then materialized between the Black Knights and Tianshou, as neither side took the initiative nor admit defeat. Retaining their defenses, the two Tianshou began to circle their "prey" once more, while the opposing two Black Knights watched them, waiting for them to reengage.  
**  
**"Impressive, most impressive." Yin suddenly spoke up again, breaking the silence, her voice retaining certain edge. "I can see why the Britannians have had such problems with your kind."

"Always nice to be praised." Rai replied straight off.

"Heh. Too bad for you we're not Britannians." Bai replied, the fire in his eyes growing. _"Nor anywhere as weak."_

"Nor anywhere as professional apparently." Alfred replied, gaining a smirk. "General Li must not be overly fond of discipline, seeing how disgraceful his subordinates appear to be." that smirked increased when he saw it had an effect on the two Chinese. "In the Imperial Army, you would have been thrown in the stockade for such unwarranted acts of aggression, no matter your rank or status."

Rai decided to add in his own words, also gaining a smirk. "I guess when you spend seven years hiding in a hole while the rest of the world fights on, you lose a few things."

The amusement quickly disappeared from either of the Tianshou. "You better watch yourselves Black Knights." Yin stated in a low warning. "We Chinese do not take such insults lightly."

"As if your feelings of inferiority are any concern of ours." Alfred stated in turn.

Bai's face further twisted into barely contained rage. _"Hun dan!"_ he snarled. "Do you have any idea who you're dealing with!?"

Rai only smirked back. _"Do you?"_ he retorted, just as his right eye suddenly flashed red, a bird-like sigil appearing in its center.

At that, the two Tianshou renewed their assault and once more charged at their designated opponents. However, before they could effectively close the distance, a _third_ figure leaped out from the shadows and, moving far faster than they had, knocked either fighter back with a respective punch for Bai and a kick for Yin.

Bai was just barely able to look up to see his new attacker. "...Hei!"

"That's enough, both of you." Major Yu Hei stated evenly, looking down at his two siblings with certain authority. Though visibly indiscernible from either Yin or Bai, having the exact same physical features (including same length _queue_ going down his back) as well as the same uniform, it was pretty obvious that he was the "elder" triplet. The Major rank badge on his chest certainly indicated it.

"But...!" Yin started to speak up.

"The alliance is delicate enough. We cannot afford any disputes such as this one." Hei explained, retaining his evenness, but speaking with unobjectionable command. "This is the will of our master."

Despite that ultimatum, Bai still saw fit to throw in one last line. "We were just testing them! We had no intention of...!"

_"Chénmò."_ Hei immediately silenced his brother. He then looked between the two of them. "You have both done enough. _Return_."

_"__Mǎshàng__!"_ both Yin and Bai acknowledged upon rising to their feet. Without any more words, the two antagonists disappeared back into the shadows, departing to parts unknown.

When he sensed their presences at an acceptable distance, Hei turned around and faced the two Black Knights for the first time. "I apologize for my brother and sister." he stated to the two. "Though we are triplets, I'm afraid that they are still rather unrestrained."

Both Alfred and Rai could only look back with certain disturbance in their minds; neither of them had detected Hei's approach until the very last second, when he had intervened. This was not a good thing in the least.

Even so, Rai was quick to acknowledge. "No harm was done, Major." he stated. "Though I would not have expected two of the Tiger's followers to be so..._forward._"

_More like jerkasses_. Alfred thought, but didn't dare say.

"We were trained by the best warrior in all of China, Major Hitsugaya, so it is only natural that we hold great pride. Both in ourselves and in our abilities." Hei explained as he looked toward where Yin and Bai had disappeared to. "Unfortunately, my siblings are ruled by that pride, instead of it being the other way around."

"Indeed." Rai exclaimed, examining the other man to see if he too were the same way. He found absolutely no indication of it. _So this is Tianshou One_. "I suppose it's best that Captain Darlton and I return to the _Ikaruga_."

"That would be agreeable." Hei replied, still showing no outward emotion. "While the CLA and the Black Knights are allies at this time, I'm afraid there are still those who do not view our alliance acceptably." his eyes narrowed minutely. "As such, I cannot guarantee your safety if you remain within Xiaopei."

"We get the message." Alfred stated directly, before turning around. "Come on Rai, let's get back to the ship." he said, as Andreas swooped down and once again perched on his shoulder.

Rai nodded, and then turned around as well. However, just as he made it to the doorway, he turned one last time to look back toward Yu Hei.

As Rai half-expected, he was no longer there.

* * *

**Vermillion Forbidden Palace  
Luoyang Settlement, Area 22 (China), Holy Britannian Empire  
July 4, 2025 a.t.b.**

"I have to say, I have _never_ met a woman so charming... Nor so _alluring_ as you, Duchess." the reptile spoke with failing charm. Just by looking at him, one almost expected a forked tongue to slink its way out of his mouth and lick his lips.

Resisting the urge to bash the subhuman's face in, Kallen forced a smile. "Your words are too kind, Minister Ling." she spoke, her words oozing with warmth. "I must say myself, I've never met a..._man_ like you." That was partly true, as she had never met a _creature_ like the one before her, even amongst the Britannians.

Standing at barely over a meter in height, Ling Yun was a short and stocky being that was pushing well into his forties with each successive breath. Appearing more as an upright walking lizard than a human being, he had small, squintier than average eyes that were covered by rounded glasses, a balding head that was topped with thin black hair, and pale, rough looking skin that one swore was covered in scales. His body was thin and spindly looking, while his hands were very much unpolished, almost claw-like. And even though he was obviously bathed and dressed in a high profile suit, one could almost smell the blood of his thousands if not millions of victims coming off his body in a foul odor.

Overall, Ling Yun was _exactly_ what Kallen thought the head of Area 22's (formerly the Chinese Federation's) Ministry of State Security would be.

"It's a shame that this Area's native women cannot match such beauty." Ling continued, the look in his eyes nothing short of pure lust as he continued to gaze over Kallen. It was so obvious that it made her nauseous. "Shame that it can only be found in the Homeland."

"I don't know Minister. I'm sure there are others like me in Area 22; you just have to look." Kallen said, wishing Lelouch would hurry up. Ling was on Lelouch's list of targets for Geassing, and so as he had emphasized to her at the beginning, it was up to her to hold him there. Otherwise she wouldn't have acknowledged his existence, though that in itself would have likely led to him deploying his Dai Li goons after her. Not that she couldn't handle them if need be.

"No, unfortunately there aren't any, I assure you." Ling continued, completely oblivious to Kallen's disgust. "It's one of the downsides of our conformist society I'm afraid. Chinese...excuse me, _Twenty-Two_ women do not have much variety going for them; after sometime you feel that they all look the same, almost believing that they come off a factory assembly line somewhere."

He shrugged. "Still, even though they're rather bland to look at, women remain women all the same." a disturbing twinkle soon entered Ling's eye. "And as such, they still have their..._uses_."

_Of course you would think that, you sick son of a bitch._ Kallen thought as she felt her gut twist, recalling certain stories she had heard from the CLA on the Minister's personal _hobbies_. The ones that struck in her mind the most was how he would go out on nightly patrols in his limo and pick up any woman that caught his eye right off the street, and then the morning after would have one of his underlings present his victims with bouquets, which "implicated" that they had consented to Ling's advances. Fortunately she still managed to keep her ever growing disgust off her face.

"Even so, I truly look forward to the day when Britannian women like yourself become a common sight in this Area." Ling spoke, again causing one to expect a forked tongue to flicker out of his mouth and lick his lips upon that line. "Perhaps when that day occurs, Area 22 will no longer be considered a wasteland."

"I'm sure that day will come soon, Minister." Kallen spoke, finally deciding she had enough and that Lelouch could find the bastard on his own. "If you'll please excuse me..."

Almost instantly she felt the Minster's hand reach out and clasp her own, almost causing her to reflexively throw him across the room. Fortunately, she managed to keep that reflex down. "Please don't go." Ling said, almost in a snake-like hiss. "Stay, so that we can get further acquainted."

"I'm sorry Minister, but I must decline." Kallen replied, bringing up her ringed hand. "My husband would take offense to the _acquaintance_ you're suggesting."

Ling sniffed at that. "So what if he does." he continued. "Surely he's not _half_ the man I am..."  
**  
**_"Actually, I was thinking just the opposite."_ Lelouch stated as he came up, staring down the Minister (indeed, it did seem like Ling was half Lelouch's height) with certain venom in his eyes. "And as a matter of fact, I do take offense to your harassing my wife, Minister."

Ling's eyes suddenly narrowed, giving him an even greater lizard-like visage. "This has nothing to do with you." he stated threateningly. "I suggest..."

"Enough." Lelouch silenced him immediately, Geass emerging. _"I only have two things to say to you, Minister. First, you will follow these instructions..."_ he quickly handed an envelope out to Ling, who, under the full influence of Geass, took it and placed it in his suit pocket. _"And second..."_ Lelouch continued, smirking. _"...__you're now a diarrhetic."_

With that, Lelouch's Geass disappeared. No sooner than that happened, a very loud rumble emerged from Ling's stomach, to which he reflexively grasped, before looking back up at Kallen. "Please excuse me my dear. I'm afraid I..." he stammered, before another rumble emerged.

From there, the Minister started on a dead run toward the side of the building, nearly knocking over several people along the way, while Lelouch and Kallen watched on. When he disappeared, Kallen flashed a smirk of her own. "I didn't know your Geass could do that."

Lelouch retained his own smirk. "As long as the commands can be heard and followed, my Geass can do _anything_." he stated proudly, before turning serious. "For what it's worth, I'm sorry you had to go through all that."

Kallen shrugged. "He wasn't the first pervert to come after me. And I doubt he'll be the last." she stated matter of factly, before looking back at Lelouch. "Though I do wish you made him _impotent_ while you were at it."

"Don't worry." Lelouch stated, a knowing look in his eyes. "With the orders I gave him, I assure you he won't be..."

"Announcing the arrival of Sir Ernst, Knight of Two, Sir Raleigh, Knight of Five, and Lady Gurlukovich, Knight of Eight!" the porter declared throughout the banquet hall.

Immediately Lelouch froze in his statement as certain dread entered his eyes as well as Kallen's. Quickly, both he and Kallen turned to face the entrance to the hall, just in time to see three figures make their way up the steps. Sure enough, those figures each wore the white suit-like uniforms of the Rounds, accompanied by respective red, olive and maroon cloaks that bore the Britannian cross on their backs. As soon as they came up to the top, attendants quickly came up and took their cloaks, before disappearing, while the three gazed out to the ever awing crowd.

"What the hell are they doing here!?" Kallen muttered quietly to Lelouch, worry seizing up in her chest. She then turned toward Lelouch, only to freeze again when she saw the look on his face.

"Johann...?" Lelouch barely muttered as he stared at the face of the middle Round, who gazed back to the crowd with contrasting emotionless to the vivid zeal of his two comrades. As ice suddenly started run throughout his veins, Lelouch felt his body stop cold, as something akin to a mixture of fear and grave concern entered his mind; the feeling that a gravely unforeseen element had come into play against his plans. It was a feeling he had felt upon seeing Schneizel within Kamine Island eight years ago, where he immediately realized that the entire Japanese Insurrection had changed with his elder brother's presence. And before that, it was a feeling he had felt upon seeing Suzaku within the _Lancelot_'s open cockpit, dressed in a Britannian pilot uniform with his hands directly upon the controls.

And just like either event back then, Lelouch felt the entire war within Area 22 had been changed.

Beside him, Kallen, knowing that her "husband's" continued gaping would attract unwanted attention, quickly seized Lelouch's arm and began quietly guided him away from the hall. A few minutes later, she brought him onto an outside balcony, which overlooked the inner court of the palace. Much to Kallen's relief, there was no one else present, and after verifying that there were no listening devices there with her Geass, she turned back to her partner.

"What's going on Lelouch?" she whispered with a forceful tone, already not liking where this was going to go.

"This is _really_ bad." Lelouch muttered, the fear still in his eyes. "Of all the Rounds my father could have sent, why did it have to be _him_?"

"Who?" Kallen stated, pushing further. Outside Suzaku and his father, she had _never_ seen Lelouch so fearful of one man before, and it was scaring her deeply.

Lelouch took a breath before answering. "Johann Ernst, the Knight of Two."

At that, Kallen again looked back into the hall, where she managed to pick out the dark skinned Round, who was currently greeting several party guests. At face value, he looked like any other Knight of the Round Kallen had seen; that in itself warranted concern, for obvious reasons, but at the same time she didn't understand why Lelouch would be afraid of this one particular Round. Especially not when his personal instructor had been the Knight of One himself.

Knowing what Kallen was thinking, Lelouch began to explain. "While all Knights of the Round are high class warriors, Johann is unique among them. As his title indicates, he's second only to Bismarck in the Rounds' hierarchy, and just like the others, he's both a skilled pilot and combatant." a certain chill entered his voice as he went on. "However, none of those are his greatest attribute."

Kallen was almost too afraid to ask. "What is it then?"

Lelouch then looked up to face her. "Amongst the Rounds, he's considered the best commander." he stated. "Whereas the others are simply high class warriors, he is a tactician and strategist like myself; one capable of devising as well as enacting. Even Bismarck recognizes his superiority in that area."

As terrifying as that was, that still didn't tell Kallen everything. "So what? How does that make him a dangerous opponent _for you_?"

"Because..." Lelouch started, again taking a breath. "Do you know I only lost one game of chess, _ever_?"

Kallen recalled that. "C.C. told me that story. As a boy, you challenged members of the Britannian Imperial Court, and when you were in Japan, you challenged officials from the JSDF and the Kururugi Cabinet. All throughout, you never lost a game..." she exclaimed. "...except to your brother Schneizel."

"That's correct." Lelouch said, nodding. "However, that story has now become outdated."

The _Guren_ pilot immediately realized the implications of that. "You mean..." she again looked back toward Johann, a whole new perspective in her eyes. "..._he beat you_?"

"Yes." Lelouch said. "We only had one game, and I was under my father's Geass at the time, but that's still no excuse..." his voice then became lowered toned. "...especially when I beat Bismarck and the other Rounds in respective matches."

"My God." Kallen cursed, now fully understanding why Lelouch was afraid. Even if it had just been one game, the fact someone else beside Schneizel had defeated him in the very game that defined his existence spoke volumes of that individual's tactical prowess. Hell, as far as Kallen was concerned, that individual could be capable of _anything_.

"Obviously, the game has changed." Lelouch said as he finally managed to straighten himself out, even though the worry in his voice remained. "We're no longer dealing with Calares, but a far more capable foe who can make the most of the Britannian forces here." an even more disturbing thought occurred to him. "And more importantly, one that can track down the CLA's hideouts."

Kallen's eyes widened at that. "Are you sure?"

Lelouch looked back gravely. "If I can find them, so can he."

Even greater concern came over the _Guren _pilot. "Then we have to get back and warn everyone!" she stated minutely.

"Agreed, but at the same time our mission here isn't over yet." Lelouch stated. "If I don't get the rest under my control, we lose anyway."

That in itself gave Kallen an idea. "Does Johann know about Geass?"

Lelouch immediately knew what Kallen was getting at. "No, that won't work." he stated. "I don't think Johann knows, but at the same time he's very attentive; he'll foresee any approach. And even more, my Geass isn't instant." he continued, reaching his hand up to his left eye. "When cast, it takes 0.6 seconds to reach full effect. Usually it doesn't matter, but for Johann, that's just enough time to see it coming and turn away."

"Damn it." Kallen exclaimed, suddenly running out of ideas. Lelouch's Geass was the best weapon they had in this type of situation; if it couldn't be utilized, then she wasn't sure if anything else could be done.

However, as Lelouch continued to turn his head over the situation, another thought entered his psyche. One that he _hadn't_ considered before. "On the other hand, his ignorance of Geass may work for us in a _different_ way." he spoke again as certain hope appeared in his eyes, slowly clearing away the uneasiness. "It's a long shot, but still the best move we have."

For her part, Kallen didn't know what Lelouch was indicating, but she didn't care. The fact he had a plan in the face of this setback was enough for her to follow. "What do you need?" she asked.

Lelouch nodded. "I need you to lure out a _specific_ target..."

* * *

**Black Knights air battleship **_**Ikaruga**_**  
Xiaopei Fortress, Duchy of Jiangsu, Area 22 (China), Holy Britannian Empire  
July 4, 2025 a.t.b.**

_Another day, another pound sterling._ Rakshata thought as she looked over her computer screen, her eyes running up and down the specs of her five newest knightmare designs. Though she only had rough designs for all of them, as she had only been working on them for the last few days, she knew that once they were completed, they would be the best knightmares of the eighth generation. In fact, she had so much faith in her work that, in an act that would surely gain additional disfavor with the Divine Mother herself (who had yet to pay her back for taking Her name as a callsign), Rakshata had named each one after a god or goddess: _Izanagi_, _Izanami_, _Amaterasu_, _Susanoo_ and _Tsukiyomi_. Together they were the aptly but poor karmically named Kami Series.

She sighed as she looked over their designs ever lovingly, her five newest children yet to be born. As she had just only gotten past the conception stage, there was still a lot of work ahead of her; she would have to go over the designs multiple times over before producing a final set of blueprints, and from there she would have to gather the resources and material to produce the individual parts for each machine, which in turn would be compounded by research and testing of some of the "experimental" modules, and then she would have to put them all together and continue experimenting with each of the five before handing them over to the Black Knights proper. All of that, and the only break she got during the whole process was that she didn't have to worry about mass production, as these five were meant to be exclusive for the Black Knights' top pilots. Indeed, so much work.

At the same time however, Rakshata only looked forward to the whole process, not unlike an actual mother looking forward to the birth of her children. Though she was often teased and made fun of over her habit of referring to her designs as her children (never to her face of course), in her opinion there was little difference in development between a technology and human beings. After all, both required basic conception, as well as hours of labor and development before formal production, and from that point there was only additional development as physical flaws were isolated and corrected, and behavioral methods, whether for the psyche of a child or the combat systems of a knightmare, were instituted, all followed upon by a series of triumphs and disappointments. And just as human child grow up, so too do knightmares; for a time they "mature" into perfect, cutting edge machines that perform their desired functions in spectacular faction, and then as time goes by, they become aged and obsolete while a newer generation takes hold.

_Indeed._ Rakshata thought, as she again looked toward her picture of the young girl, Sati, smiling with a lotus blossum in her hands, which remained on her desk as always. _There's little difference._

At that, she felt herself yawn unconsciously. Apparently she had her fill for the night, as working any longer would cause complications. That and she already had gotten an earful from her benefactor, the token Viceroy of Area 21, over her poor sleeping habits. The last thing she wanted was to get chewed out over her health and her importance to India's future through a real time communiqué.

"Damn Bapu." Rakshata snarled, the image of an bald and elderly Indian man with round glasses, dressed in a Britannian designed suit (which he had been forced to wear in place of his more recognizable ensemble upon his appointment) and holding a disarming smile, appearing in her mind. Even when she merely thought of him, he still managed to get on her nerves.

A knock at the door quickly interrupted her thoughts, causing her to reflexively straighten out. "Enter." she replied just as reflexively, before she processed the thought to verify the newcomer's identity. As such, she quickly regretted it as the door opened.

Ever dressed in his purple uniform, Li Xingke casually entered the room, a datapad in his hand. Upon the sight of him, Rakshata adopted a highly uncharacteristic scowl. "What do you want Chinaman?" she snarled, resisting the instinctive urge to go for her sidearm at the mere sight of a Chinese man dressed in a CLA uniform.

Inwardly Xingke sighed at that. He knew this was going to be difficult, given the bad history between the Chinese and the Indians. A history that stemmed over forty years, all the way back to the Chinese Federation's conquest and subjugation of India during Mao Zedong's War of the Orient. "This is the latest maintenance log on the _Shen Hu_ and its siblings." Xingke replied straight to the point. "As their original designer, I was hoping you could go over this and pick out any mistakes my mechanics have been making."

Rakshata raised an eyebrow at that. "That's an awful lot of trust you're putting into an 'ignorant brown-ass.'" she quipped.

Again Xingke inwardly sighed as the chief insult the Chinese had often used against Indians was brought up. Indeed, this was _truly_ going to be difficult. "I am well aware of your intellect Colonel Chawla. We would not have the Four Beasts without it."

That only made Rakshata even more angry. "Bad choice of words Chinaman. Now I'm _definitely_ not going to help you." she snarled, quickly turning around and giving her back to Xingke. "Make sure the door doesn't hit you on the way out."

In spite of the obvious rejection, Xingke was quick to notice an underlying tone to the Black Knight Science Corps chief's anger. Something that transcended mere bad blood. "I don't understand." he prodded. "I thought you didn't just see your designs as mere creations, but as your actual children."

He then took note of the picture on Rakshata's desk, at least before Rakshata put the picture face down. He continued. "And with respect Colonel, you don't strike me as the kind of woman who would reject her children. Not even out of spite."

Rakshata sniffed at that, staying momentarily silent before responding. "You really don't know how I came to bear those quadruplets, do you?" she turned back, this time with intense hatred in her eyes and voice, such that even the stoic Xingke was visibly disturbed. "How an Indian woman like myself came to design weapons for her peoples' oppressors."

Immediately Xingke knew this was not going to be pleasant. "I assume you were forced to." he said, retaining his stoic front even in the face of such hatred.

"Understatement of the decade." Rakshata replied derisively.

With great hesitance, Xingke decided to press on. "What was it?" he asked. "What convinced you to create those four?"

The hatred in Rakshata's eyes grew ever colder. "Just one thing." she stated, her voice now hollow, so much so that it seemed to echo with pure wrath. _"Mumbai."_

At that, even Xingke's internal control snapped and allowed the shock to reach his face. The Mumbai Massacre, otherwise known as the Rape of Mumbai by the outside world, had been one of the most brutal acts the Chinese Federation had inflicted upon the Indians. Over four million of the city's population had been slaughtered by the CLA, while mass rape, mutilation and looting had also been committed. General Cao Kun, the commander of the Militarized Zone of India at the time, as well as the source of the original deployment orders, had described the whole act with one word: _xūnzhēng_. Fumigation.

Along that line, Xingke responded as such before he could consider his words. "How is that possible?" he exclaimed in true astonishment. "It had been reported that there were terrorist cells within the city, and that when we moved in to round them up, the city broke into riots."

Rakshata's glare intensified at that. "You fool." she seethed. "There were _never_ any 'terrorists' in Mumbai. That was just Cao covering his ass." her eyes narrowed even further. "Not that he ever needed an excuse. Four million dead Indians is hardly any concern to you Chinese."

_It was a concern to me._ Xingke thought, but for some reason didn't say aloud. In truth, he had suspected Cao had lied about Mumbai, but never had the ability to prove it; both the State Council and the CLA General Staff had been quick in sealing all records regarding Mumbai, and not even Xingke's top level clearance had given him access. Alongside that, Cao had also been moved out of reach, as his command had been transferred to Liaodong right after the Massacre; it was from this new post that Cao masterminded Operation Hai Long Wang (Sea Dragon), the attempted false flag invasion of Japan through Kyushu, two years later. Now Xingke knew exactly why on all of it.

"Ten years ago, Cao, having somehow heard of my designing the _Guren Isshiki_ for the JLF, came to me and presented me with an offer of commission. And when I say 'offer', I mean he strapped me to a chair and held a gun to my head." Rakshata stated in spiteful sarcasm.. "He wanted me to create a series of seventh generation knightmares for the Chinese Federation, models that could fight on the same level as the _Guren_ and Britannia's _Lancelot_."

She closed her eyes at the memory. "Naturally, I refused." she explained. "At the time I had just lost something most precious to me, and so held no wish to continue living."

Beneath notice, Xingke's eyes shifted over to the downturned picture while Rakshata went on with her story. "When he saw that his threats weren't working, Cao changed tactics: he said that if I didn't cooperate, then he would massacre the citizens of Mumbai."

Xingke was quick to realize the implications of that, evidenced by his renewed shock. It wasn't hard to guess what happened, considering the _Shen Hu_ and its siblings existed. _"That bastard..."_ he growled, looking away in shame.

"You figured it out." Rakshata nodded at Xingke's expression. "After I completed the Four Beasts, Cao decided to go forward with the massacre anyway. He said it would remind me 'who was the master and who was the brown-ass slave.'" she smiled coldly. "A rather ironic statement from a communist. And at the same time, not so much."

The Indian woman continued look down at the Chinese general, the very representation of all that she hated. "So that is to say, General, those four are _indeed_ my children." she exclaimed, her voice becoming even more harsh. _"Specifically, they are products of Cao's rape, and your Federation's complicity in it."_

It was all Xingke could do to remain standing, let alone refuse to sling his shoulders in dejection. For much of his lifetime, he had been forced to endure the crimes of a government that was said to have been of the People, by the People, for the People. It never got easier, even when the things other nations (even Britannia) considered "atrocities" became normalities with the Federation; if anything it had made him even more disgusted with his own country. And now here he was again, listening to another one of the Chinese Federation's crimes against humanity, from the woman who had been at the center of it. It especially hurt him this time, as he had directly benefitted from that crime's outcome with four state of the art weapons.

Sometimes he wondered if he really was fighting for the right side. Fortunately, it only took the image of Tianzi, as well as the suffering multitudes within the former Federation, to resolidify his resolve. Indeed, the Chinese Federation may have been as evil as Britannia, perhaps more so, but that didn't mean his people were doing better as Twenty-Twos. Especially not when Zhao Hao and his compatriots were the ones running things.

Those thoughts gave him enough strength to respond. "I understand." he stated in monotone. "I have no right to ask anything of you. Likewise, I do not dismiss the crimes the country and ideology I represent have done to your people."

Rakshata continued to observe the general as he went on. "Having said that though, I still ask for your support, as I have no other choice." he said. "Those four knightmares, despite the fact you consider them bastard children, have given the CLA an edge against the Britannians we would not have gained on our own. In fact, they're the _only_ effective weapons we have against them; as such, if there is any chance in increasing their performance, I must take it, even at the cost of my pride."

Again Rakshata sniffed. "You have balls, Chinaman. I'll give you that." she stated, before turning around again. "But that's not enough for me to help you."

"Please." Xingke replied, now starting to sound desperate. "I understand your hatred toward myself and my people, but surely you realize that _they_ do not deserve this." he emphasized the point. "Surely you realize that China has suffered as much under as India, whether under the Federation or Britannia."

The General's eyes looked even more pleading. "That in spite of all we have done, we're still human...!"

Rakshata clenched teeth out that, stopping herself from whirling around again and throwing something at the general. As much as she wished he were wrong, he wasn't. Even so, before she responded, she took a moment to calm herself. "In India, we have various perceptions of Chinese. Some believe you are yellow skinned _Asura_, which the supreme god Vishnu has sent upon us as karmic punishment for our sins. Others believe you are _Preta_, beings damned with eternal hunger and thirst, and that your desecration of your land and ours are but extensions of your damnation. And even more believe you to be escapees from _Naraka_ itself." she looked up. "Beside those, there are many others, but of all their number, not one ever denotes as you 'human'."

Xingke hesitated for a moment before asking. "And what do you believe us to be?"

Rakshata let out a breath from her nostrils. "I don't believe. I _know_ the ultimate and completely disgusting truth: that just as you said, you are as human as we are."

Again she turned to face the general. "In the end, no matter how much I wish to deny it, and no matter how much it sickens me, there is no difference between us." she stated, her tone far less harsh and pointed now. "We both have hands, organs, dimensions, senses, affections and passions. We are fed with the same food, hurt with the same weapons, subject to the same diseases, healed by the same means, and warmed and cooled by the same winter and summer. We both bleed when we're pricked, laugh when we're tickled, die when we're poisoned."

Hostility soon returned to her eyes. "And most importantly, we both desire revenge when we're wronged."

If Xingke was shaken by that last claim, he didn't show it. Regardless, Rakshata went on. "Really, out of every detestable trait you Chinese possess, it's your lack of difference from we Indians, or any other race in the world, that I hate the most about you." she stated with slight derision. "Yet at the same time, that single trait is what makes you just as deserving of salvation from Britannia's jackboots as we are..."

She grit her teeth as she spoke her next sentence. _"...regardless of the crimes of your thrice-damned Federation."_

From that, silence soon dawned between the Indian colonel and the Chinese general, as if neither side knew how to continue. A few moments later however, Rakshata growled again. "Fine, goddamn it." she muttered, right before getting up and swiping the datapad out of Xingke's arms. "I'll take a look at the log. I can't promise anything, but if I find things that can be fixed or improved, I'll be sure to forward them to your mechanics."

She then gave off a leer. "That is, assuming they're willing to listen to an Indian."

Xingke blinked once, and then nodded in gratitude. "I'll be sure to inform them to do so." he stated simply. From that, Rakshata returned to her chair while Xingke turned to make his way out.

However, just as he reached the door, he spoke again. "For the record, I had General Cao executed when I took full command of the CLA."

"So I heard. Him and twelve others." Rakshata said banefully. "Even I have to admit that was very clever of you. You removed your potential rivals and deterred any others, as well as ensured that both your authority and Tianzi's remained unquestioned." she smirked derisively. "All as one would expect of the Chinese Tiger."

Xingke paused before answering. "That is all true. However, it also sent another message: wanton acts, such as the ones committed by those thirteen, would not be tolerated under my command." he explained. "For this reason and several others, you have not seen a repeat of Mumbai these last seven years. At least, not by the CLA's hand." With that, he opened the door and exited without another word.

Alone again, Rakshata allowed the silence to fall around her once more.

* * *

**Vermillion Forbidden Palace  
Luoyang Settlement, Area 22 (China), Holy Britannian Empire  
July 4, 2025 a.t.b.**

"For the last time Calares, _no_, we cannot end the party now." Zhao Hao stated with visible annoyance. "In spite of your security concerns, which I find nonsensical at best."

From that, Calares took a moment close his eyes and rub his temples. "Look, I get it Zhao Hao." he started. "You and your compatriots are noblemen. You all have more money than most fourth world dictators, and you're the absolute lords of this particular land. And if that wasn't high enough status, you also possess the recognition of Prince Schneizel himself."

Calares then adapted a knowing look. "Unfortunately however, due to totally _unfounded_ rumors started by the local Numbers, people think you eight have certain..._plumbing_ issues." he enjoyed watching Zhao Hao squirm on that one. "Which combined with your lack of natural beauty and grace, as well as your being traitors, has stuck you all with a less than popular image. Thus, the only way you can make up for all of those things is by wearing expensive clothes, driving around in sports cars, throwing large parties such as this one..."

The Viceroy then drew a minute smirk. "And paying women to look attracted to you." he said, before the smirk disappeared and a dark, accusing expression took its place. _"Which in itself also misleads people who don't know your_ true _preference_."

Zhao Hao could only adjust his collar on that one, as well as ignore the minute intensity behind Calares' eyes. While he was far from apologetic over his sexual tastes, he had no illusions of what the Viceroy, or many others under his military command, would have done to him had he not possessed his title and the protection it granted. "Is there a point you're trying to make? Or are you just going to keep mocking me?"

"Just the same point I've been making over and over again: your gatherings are too large, too open and, above everything else, too frequent." Calares reiterated for what felt like the hundredth time that night. "You've invited practically every name in the Area to them, and you never held back in advertising. If the CLA hasn't heard about them by now, then it means Xingke and his generals have all turned blind and deaf."

"What difference would that make?" Zhao Hao said pointedly. "Damn it all Calares, we're in the middle of Luoyang, under the protection of your prized Argus. There's no way Xingke would be able to stage an attack here."

Calares resisted the urge to slap his forehead. "For once in your completely godforsaken life, _think_ Zhao Hao." he growled. "Xingke doesn't need to attack this place directly. He could have planted spies amongst the guests or staff, or placed listening devices around the palace. Hell, he could have just as easily placed _bombs_."

"I thought your men had checked the palace grounds this morning." Zhao Hao recalled.

"They did, but it makes no difference as the palace is too large to keep effectively monitored. And it also doesn't help that you won't allow my men into the inner areas." Calares reminded.

"That's what the MSS is for." Zhao Hao replied, waving it off. "They're very good at keeping things under watch."

Calares' expression showed he was far from convinced. "The only thing the Dai Li is good at is tormenting passive Twenty-Twos. In everything else, they're unreliable." he then looked at Zhao Hao squarely. "And considering how easily they betrayed their previous government and idealism, their loyalty is also far from absolute."

"_I_ will be the judge of that." Zhao Hao stated. One of the reasons behind the Chinese Federation's smooth transition to Area 22 seven years ago was that he had brought Minister Ling in on the scheme; this in itself wasn't too hard given Ling's own greed and his underlings only caring about retaining power and authority. With the MSS aboard, it was all too easy to round up the rest of the government that wasn't in on Prince Schneizel's scheme.

On that, Zhao Hao looked around for a moment. _Where is Ling anyway? I thought he used nights like this to pick out new victims._

"Look, if you're going to keep going with this, then at least let me post some soldiers in the interior." Calares demanded, reaching for a compromise. "If nothing else, it will provide additional security."

"Forget it. I will not have your soldiers scaring my guests; they've done enough of that _outside_ the palace." Zhao Hao stated with finality. "Really Calares, you're being paranoid. And annoying."

Calares balled his fists at his sides. "I'll remember those words the next time the CLA strikes and you and your 'friends' come _crying_ to me to do something about it."

Zhao Hao turned red on that one. "The CLA will never, _never_ reach us here! And that's final!" he declared, finally having enough. He then, after spending a few moments to catch his breath, turned around abruptly. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have guests to attend to."

From there, Calares watched as the fat, pale skinned Chinese noble stormed off to "bestow favor" onto another group of people. On that, it was Calares' turn to feel disgusted. _He really does look like an upright walking pig in a suit._

He shook his head, as he had more important things on his mind. Namely, how he was going to salvage his career and standing, especially when he had to work under three Knights of the Round, one whom was said to have been on par with Prince Schneizel and Prince Lelouch as a commander, strategist and tactician. That latter only made him glower even more; he did _not_ spend seven years of his life in the godforsaken hellhole known as Area 22 so that his career could be thrown out from under him by an upstart in a red cloak! He had worked too hard and sacrificed way too much for that to happen.

The problem was, what could he do about it? Even though he was a General, the Knights of the Round were all above the Army chain of command, and Johann Ernst was number two in their order. There was no way Calares could go around his orders nor countermand him, and he definitely couldn't rely on his troops to stand by him should he challenge Sir Ernst directly. After all, turning against a Round was the same as doing so to the Emperor himself, and was automatically considered high treason.

Essentially, all he could do was stand back and follow orders as if he were of lower rank and status, which technically he was. And much worse, all he had to look forward at the end of it was either retaining his current position, or being transferred to the Russian Front. In other words, it was a choice between remaining in a scorched wasteland, where he took words from the bombastic Zhao Hao, or he transferred to a frozen wasteland, where he would take orders from the overbearing Prince Horatio.

Thinking that choice, Calares sighed. For the first time he wished he were back in Area 12, the Philippines, hunting down the (hilariously named) Moro Islamic Liberation Front in Mindanao and the various Philippine Republican Army remnants spread across the other islands. Compared to the CLA, they were little more than a nuisance, and though Calares hadn't particularly liked the jungles nor the inhabitants, at least he had been a valued commander at that time. That and he hadn't had people like Zhao Hao and his fellow Eunuchs to put up with.

On the other hand, there was always the option of early retirement and returning to his family's land of Argentine, in which he was currently the reigning Duke. It was a job he didn't look forward to, as the life of a plain nobleman was _boring_ compared to the military, and despite his current situation, Calares was still proud of his service to the Throne. He considered himself a soldier first and the Duke of Argentine second. _Distantly_ second. How could he throw his career away with that mindset?

However, as he pondered his situation while absent mindedly eating an entree of _Britannian_ food (his stomach could not take the spices of Chinese cuisine), one option did come up that he had not considered before. Taking out the CLA before Sir Ernst did.

It was then that he realized that, of all the negative effects the Knight of Two's presence held, it gave him _one_ advantage he had not held originally. For seven years, Calares had been unable to locate the main CLA hideout, the one that contained Xingke's central command and likely held Tianzi; he had been able to isolate several CLA bases over the years, which he had eradicated with little difficulty, but never the one that directed them all. It had been a great source of personal humiliation to him, as well as the main reason why the CLA had not yet been eradicated.

That being said, if Johann Ernst were _half_ the strategist he had been reputed, then surely he had already deduced its location, alongside every other CLA base out there. More than that, Sir Ernst was going to give a briefing tomorrow morning on his entire strategy tomorrow, in which he would assuredly divulge his findings to Calares and the rest of his staff. That thought alone warmed Calares' stomach more than his dinner ever could.

_So what if the brat found it when I did not. As long as I'm the one who calls the assault and gains victory, it will be considered my triumph regardless._ he thought as he took a mouthful of pork, smirking a little as he chewed. Indeed, His Majesty and the Imperial High Command would have to recognize him then, even if he had technically gone around the Knight of Two's authority in order to enact it.

Thus, for the first time in entire years, Calares felt a semblance of hope for his long humiliated career, as well as dark and powerful ambition. After what was almost an entire decade, _he_ was on the offensive, and once he capitalized on it, his enemies, both within the CLA and Britannia itself, would be laid to rest. And from that, final glory would be his.

* * *

It was nearing midnight now in local Chinese time. Despite that fact, as well as the additional fact that it had begun around six o'clock in the afternoon, the party only continued on at full speed. As he stood on the sidelines of it, watching the partygoers went on their idle conversations while eating dessert (as they had all long finished their main entrees), Lelouch couldn't help but wonder if the Eunuchs had threatened these people with summary execution if they so much as looked tired. He certainly felt exhausted, though he was not about to show it.

He was alone now, standing along one of the side railing at the end of the hall, taking occasional sips from his glass of plum wine; he could afford it, as he had high alcohol tolerance, and he had already finished Geassing his targets. The only thing that remained now was their exit, which was only held up by one totally unforeseen obstacle: Kallen had gone to answer a call of nature a few minutes back, and obviously Lelouch couldn't leave without her. It was aggravating, especially with time being a major factor now, but such an event was not something he could, or would, fault her with. Besides, they had a long trip back to Xiaopei waiting for them, so it was best for such matters to be taken care of now.

Thus he had a quiet moment to himself, standing in the middle of a social whirlwind. If anything it gave him an up close perspective on the corruption and decadence practiced by the Area elite; they all went about eating food, vast amounts of food in a land plagued by seemingly eternal famine, drinking wine that had to be worth a thousand pounds per bottle, and holding to conversations about trends and fashions from the Homeland. Alongside this, they were all completely indifferent to the suffering Numbers around them; whenever Twenty-Twos were brought up in a conversation, it was either in derision or as an attempt at humor, the latter usually highlighting on some animalistic trait they supposedly possessed. Not one guest recognized the fact they were enjoying the modern day equivalent of a Manchu Han Imperial Feast while billions starved around them, nor that just by being present they were enjoying status and privileges that the Chinese masses had not held in centuries, if at all.

Lelouch inwardly glowered at all of them; this was an entirely new low for Britannia, one that easily surpassed their acts in every other Area to date. Even the colonists of Area 11 had not been so callous to the so-called Elevens; yes the Japanese had been treated horribly by their overseers, but even those who lived in the ghettos had never been forced into starvation, nor did the Britannians deprive them of basic resources like electricity and running water. For whatever subjugations the Japanese had endured, they had been allowed to live as human beings (albeit on the most basic of levels), whereas the Chinese had been damned to a collectively slow and agonizing death.

That in itself made Lelouch wonder if that had been Britannia's true intentions here. Rather than forwardly purge the Twenty-Twos like they had in other Areas, simply let them all die from hunger, dehydration and disease, and then relegate the Area to a Britannian instituted Year Zero, where it could be rebuilt as a 'true' extension of the Empire. It certainly seemed likely, given what he had seen up to now. He also didn't put it past the power that be; indeed, such a plan would be akin to his father's way of thinking, with the strong thriving and the weak dying out.

Needless to say, Lelouch was very much enraged as he gazed out at all of them. Not as much as he had been upon seeing the ruins of Japan, but still considerably more than he thought he would be upon coming here. _This is_ precisely_ what I'm fighting against._ Lelouch told himself, as he mentally recorded the party. _This is _exactly_ what I intend to destroy at the end of my crusade._

"Well, it's nice to see a fellow sideliner." a familiar voice spoke from behind, causing Lelouch to suddenly freeze where he stood. Turning to the side, he watched as Johann minutely came up to him. "Though I am often called for such occasions, I'm afraid I lack the stomach for them."

From that, Lelouch quickly realized his cover was _not_ blown; Johann just wanted to have a friendly conversation. That said however, Lelouch still had to be careful, as the Knight of Two could easily pick up on any wrong words or tones, no matter how inconspicuous they were. "Am I really that transparent, Sir Ernst?" he answered thusly.

"Quite the contrary, Lord Ashford." Johann replied matter of factly, before turning to face his guest. "You conceal your emotions quite well, and to an extent none of these people could ever read."

"I'll take that as a compliment." Lelouch replied.

"As it was meant to be." Johann acknowledged. He then tilted his head a little. "On that end, I am curious. I had come to believe that, with the exception of the current Duchess of New York, the House of Ashford had been wiped away."

Lelouch inwardly sniffed at that; he knew when he was being probed. "Despite rumors, Sir Ernst, not everyone followed my grandfather Reuben to Area 11. Some of us felt prospects could still be gained within the Homeland." he looked down as if in remorse. "I only wish the rest of my family were alive to enjoy them."

"I see." Johann nodded in acknowledgement. "My apologies then, I did not mean to remind you of your loss." he continued. "Having said that however, I am still intrigued by your presence in Area 22, as the Ashford Foundation has no holdings here."

"Not yet anyway." Lelouch answered.

"Oh?" Johann inquired.

"I hope to change that in the near future." Lelouch answered, continuing his explanation. "While this land has little in the way of resources, it still possesses an abundance of open space; a perfect blank slate for industrialization."

"Yes, I have heard this assessment." Johann concluded as well. "But surely there's more to the Ashford Foundation's interests than _that_."

Lelouch faked a laugh. "You really are gifted at seeing beyond the obvious, Sir Ernst." he complimented before going on. "The truth is, the Foundation has recently absorbed the Eden Corporation. This includes the rights to Eden's Genesis project."

"Ah yes, Genesis. The generation of ecology through spontaneously applied molecular engineering." Johann acknowledged, looking up in recollection. "I thought that had been banned by the Senate years ago."

"Yes, because Eden wanted to test it in the Homeland, specifically in California. The Senate ruled against it because they feared the tests could potentially affect the present ecology of that region, and perhaps the rest of Area 1." Lelouch explained, before giving off an almost devious expression. "Fortunately, Area 22 is not part of the Homeland, and its current state makes it a more suitable testing ground."

Johann considered that, and Lelouch could tell from his eyes that he found it logical. "This Area would certainly benefit from such a rejuvenation, assuming it were successfully applied." he stated, before looking at Lelouch knowingly. "Of course, any fallout would have an adverse effect on the local populace."

Again Lelouch knew he was being probed, to which he once more forced a laugh. "Look around you Sir Ernst. Nobody cares about how the Twenty-Twos feel about anything." he then gestured toward the Eunuchs. "And _they_ wouldn't care if we were testing chemical weapons, so long as they're paid sufficiently."

The Knight of the Round raised an eyebrow. "That's a rather heartless outlook coming from an Ashford." he noted perceptively. "I would have thought your family would be sympathetic to the Numbers, considering your cousin's time amongst them."

Lelouch shrugged. "As I said Sir Ernst, my side of the family chose _not_ to follow my grandfather to Area 11." he prayed that Johann didn't pick up on that lie. "And my cousin Milly has left it up to me to choose a testing site, which is why I'm here and she's not. Besides, as you have observed, this Area and its inhabitants would only benefit from a successful rejuvenation."

Johann again nodded, apparently bemused that he had been caught with his own words. "If nothing else, Lord Ashford, I appreciate your candor. As well as your logic." he complimented again, his gaze further emphasized. "But even so, I must confess, you are still something a mystery to me."

Lelouch suddenly felt unease creep up his spine. "I thought I made my intentions, as well as my character, quite clear, Sir Ernst."

"Once more to the contrary, Lord Ashford." Johann said, before he narrowed his gaze into Lelouch's eyes. _"I believe you are more than what you appear to be."  
_  
A very uncomfortable moment of silence, at least for Lelouch, resulted from there. However, it wasn't long before Lelouch saw Kallen moving through the background, who immediately froze when she saw Johann. As such, Lelouch then looked toward his watch, before sighing in false regret. "Well, that's it for me." he stated, before nodding to Johann. "If you'll excuse me, Sir Ernst, I'm afraid I must turn in for the evening."

Johann nodded in return, seeing no reason to keep the lord. "Until we meet again then, Your Lordship." he said, before moving away.

At that, Kallen came up, looking as though she had just went through a heart attack. "What the hell was that all about?" she whispered urgently.

"Nothing serious, darling." Lelouch reassured her, passing his wine glass to a waiter who walked by. "Sir Ernst just wanted to say hello."

"Considering what you've told me about him, that looked to be more than a simple 'hello'." Kallen replied back.

Lelouch again faked a laugh (for what was likely the twentieth time that night), making it look like his 'wife' had said something funny and completely harmless. "I assure you it was nothing serious." he stated, though he knew Kallen would see right through that. "Have you taken care of _all_ your business?"

Kallen rolled her eyes on that one. "Yes, I took care of _all_ my business." she looked on disgustedly as they started to walk toward the front staircase. "That's the last time I eat half-cooked _shiitaki_ dumplings."

Lelouch chuckled (for real) in turn. "That's what I love about you the most, Maria. Your extravagant tastes."

"You better shut up now, Daniel." Kallen replied sweetly, dawning a smile. "Before I kick your ass in front of all these nice people."

Lelouch's reply to that came in the form of an overly drawn sigh. "And to think, I could have married Miya Hillmick."

The exchange, which continued as they both descended the stairs, reached the front entrance and moved further on, did well to disguise the dread they both felt simultaneously.

* * *

"Well, this is unexpected." C.C. observed as she watched Lelouch and Kallen enter the limo from the front mirror (she was posing as their chauffeur). She was quick to note that both, on top of being physically exhausted from the hours of interaction and keeping up appearances, were visibly disturbed. "Almost disappointing even."

"Let me guess, you were expecting us to come out hot, with guards on our tails and _Sutherlands_ moving to block our exit." Kallen summarized as she climbed into the limo, Lelouch closing the door when she was in.

C.C. nodded. "And I was so looking forward to the car chase." she spoke in mock disappointment. "What a way to ruin my evening."

"We don't have time!" Lelouch barked as he practically threw himself into the limo, his eyes speaking of certain urgency. "Get us to the rendezvous point, and transmit for immediate pick up! Now!"

"Alright alright." C.C. replied as she started the engine, quickly taking the limo down the inlet toward the front palace gate. Lelouch had specifically chosen her to be the chaffeur due to her intimate knowledge of Luoyang; after all, she had visited, and lived within, the city at several points in her excessive lifetime. "I take it the worst has occurred."

"Our worst _nightmare_ has occurred." Kallen confirmed with a dreading nod.

"Does this thing have a long-range radio?" Lelouch demanded. They had "acquired" the limo from one of the local Army commanders, through the same means Lelouch acquired the Black Knights' original mobile home base eight years ago. Logically it would have possessed a long-range communication system, but he hadn't had time to make sure before the party.

"Yes, it does." C.C. confirmed with a nod, to which she flipped a switch and caused a panel to open near Lelouch's seat, revealing the radio set. "However, if you use it within Luoyang, the Britannians might..."

"That's a risk we'll have to take." Lelouch interrupted, his voice holding the same urgency as he took up the radio. "Gyoku One to Huxue, come in." he stated. _Hǔxué_, or "The Tiger's Den", was the callsign for Xiaopei. "Repeat, Gyoku One to Huxue, come in!"

"This is Huxue." came the staunch reply. "Gyoku One, what are you doing on this channel? It's meant for emergency communications only!"

"This _is_ an emergency!" Lelouch replied just as staunchly. "I need to speak to Shangdi One!" Shangdi One was, naturally, Xingke's personal callsign.

For a moment, it seemed like the operator was going to tell Lelouch to get off the radio. However, after a brief moment of time passed without a response, a new voice came on. "This is Shangdi One. Go ahead."

"Shangdi One, this is a priority level emergency. The Britannians are or will soon be aware of Huxue. Repeat, Huxue is compromised!" Lelouch stated, already seeing the shocked looks upon the CLA personnel on the other end. "Recommend immediate evacuation. Over."

Another moment of silence passed before Xingke responded. "Gyoku One, is Britannian incursion imminent?" he asked.

Lelouch thought about that for a moment, then shook his head. He doubted either Johann or Calares had an assault planned at the current time, as Johann and his compatriots could have only recently arrived. "Negative, Britannian incursion is _not_ imminent. However, it's still recommended you begin evacuation."

Yet another pause. "Acknowledged. How close are you to main rendezvous point?"

Lelouch looked over to C.C., who waved a twenty minutes sign. "Twenty minutes out. Timetable remains unaffected."

"Very well. I will meet with you upon your return. Huxue out." Xingke replied, before the radio turned silent.

By now, the limo was well passed the main palace gate and driving down the deserted streets of Luoyang. Fifteen minutes later, it would rendezvous with an incoming _Dongfeng_ bomber (which had been modified with a Gefjun Disturber) that the CLA had loaned to the Black Knights for this assignment; after all, it would not do them well for the Black Knights' presence to revealed so early on. From there, they would abandon and destroy the limo and then take the gunship directly back to Xiaopei, where they would arrive just before sunup.

The whole operation remained on perfect schedule, with no deviations nor interruptions to hinder the recovery and return. Despite that however, both Lelouch and Kallen could not help but feel that, even when they made final approach to their home base, that it was still too late.

* * *

TO BE CONTINUED...

**Author's Notes:** Ah, another day, another chapter. I really enjoyed writing this one, since I haven't written a "Secret Agent" plot since Chapter 5, and much more I got to employ Lelouch in this one.

Anyway, you'll also probably note another change: that being the setting date. Don't be alarmed, _Megiddo_ hasn't gone through another time skip; I just upped the date from five years after the original series to eight. The reason for this was due _Megiddo_'s background setting, which has grown far more developed from what I wrote in the beginning; I now have a much more detailed World War at hand, alongside the Black Knights being a more organized and developed than I had originally written them as. On the former, in hindsight I didn't think Britannia being on the brink of conquering the EU in only two years (the war starts in 2020 a.t.b) made much sense; if anything, it certainly didn't make the EU look good since they were beaten back so quickly. On the latter, I originally intended the Black Knights to be akin to the AEUG from _Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam_, in which they were a small force equipped with about a dozen airships and few hundred knightmares; now, while they're still marginally smaller than the other _Megiddo_ factions, they've since become an Elite Army (see TVTropes) unto themselves, and so needed a larger time skip to explain their more extensive build up. Thus for both reasons, as well as to give Lelouch more time in Britannia, I tagged on three more years; as a bonus, this coincidentally makes it fifteen years since Britannia conquered Japan in the first place (the same amount of years between the Belkan War and the Circum-Pacific War of _Ace Combat_).

Meanwhile, though certain readers may think otherwise, the delay in Lelouch's Geass is not my idea (though I did make up the 0.6 second span). Rather, it comes from Stage 16 (the final Mao episode): when Lelouch casts his "Never speak again!" command on Mao, the latter just has enough time to turn around and say "No!" before the Geass "reaches" him and goes into effect. In that sense, I always figured that the intended victim could potentially "dodge" Lelouch's Geass by looking away from his eyes during that delay. Granted it's not very long, as Mao was just barely able to say one word in that span, but it's still enough time to act for those paying attention, or so I like to believe.

And finally, there's the matter of Tohdoh and Chiba. I'm sure more than a few readers were totally unprepared for that scene, but I assure you I didn't write it for random fanservice. While I won't spoil anything beyond that (I originally had an explanation written, but decided it was too much at this time), I will say this is the only logical depiction I could think of for their relationship (short of having them tie the knot right after the Devastation), and that I've literally racked my brain on it since I started writing this story. That said, you'll just have to trust me with it. Otherwise look on the bright side: at least it wasn't as bad as Nina and Table-kun (ugh).

Despite the aforementioned issues, I hope everyone enjoyed the chapter regardless.


End file.
